I COULD CARE LESS
THE FALSE PROPHET
Chapter 6
Part 1
By
Doug Krieger
AS IN THE DAYS OF NOAH
“But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:37).
Perhaps the graphic viewed atop this article depicts American Empire – PAX AMERICANA – at its zenith and inheritor of Rome’s glory. Indeed, the “pleasures of sin for a season” – the rank militarism, surfeiting and the inane quest for unbridled entertainment, illusory cultural pursuits, Corptocracy, inventive genius, architectural achievement, technological superiority – all are compacted in this surreal display of Americana – but underlying these grandiose accomplishment and world endeavors is a pervasive and intoxicating delusion from which “all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury” (Revelation 18:3). Alas! “All things continue as they were from the beginning of creation” (II Peter 3:4).
Therefore, this tome rests not in the midst of the “Rise or Fall of American Empire?” but smack dab in the Babylonian Plain of Dura of The False Prophet – for the Master of Deceit and perpetrator of Laodicea’s expressive attitude and drivel reveals “I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing” (Rev. 3:17) - it’s domiciled in the expression:
“Knowing this first: that scoffers (and some of them are the so-called leaders of the evangelical Church) will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts and saying ‘Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation . . . for this THEY WILLFULLY FORGET: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water, by which the world that then existed (AS IN THE DAYS OF NOAH) perished, being flooded with water . . . but the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition (i.e., “destruction”) of ungodly men” (II Peter 3:3-8).
How fitting to ascribe the preliminary work of the False Prophet who shall ascend from the earth – to feed the frenzy of the earthlings (Revelation 13:13-14 – those that “dwell on the earth”) and their aforementioned insatiable appetites for all things culturally carnal, conniving and corrupt; to wit:
“And he deceives those who dwell on the earth by those signs which he was granted to do in the sight of the beast, telling those who dwell on the earth (“earthlings” juxtaposed to those who have their stake in the “heavenlies” but live on this earthly clod—“Those who dwell in heaven”—Rev. 13:6) to make an image to the beast who was wounded by the sword and lived” (Revelation 13:14).
The same earthlings so predisposed and given over to trivial pursuits in celebration of the demise of the Two Witnesses wherein their expression of Noahic utterance conveys their nihilism and vacuous lifestyles of the cultural elite and the precarious indifference of the multitudes who long to feast at their table:
“Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead body three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead body to be put into the grave . . . and those who dwell on the earth (i.e., “earthlings”) will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth”…YES…”they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away” (Revelation 11:9-10; Matthew 24:38-39).
Not only do youth have their invincibilities – the immortality of youth – but, alas, are the false prophets, even the false christs, who abound to this day and intensify their deceptions in man, money and the moribund mannerisms at the end of days . . . these are taking their licentious liberties to confuse the vulnerable and instill their sense of perpetual indulgence – an uninterrupted quest for temporal relief; even spiritual abuse through so-called prophetic vision and earthly concerns justified by campaigns on behalf of social justice or cultural wars upon our moral decay – so delusional is their final deception! Now, let the Scriptures confirm these dark suspicions while challenging, comforting and convincing us to “having done all to stand” against the tide of this age and herald His Coming to an indifferent generation which does not know – or COULD CARE LESS – that “the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven” awaiting their most frightful demise: “And then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30).
THE OLIVET DISCOURSE OR THE DISCORDANT ORACLES?
Those of you who wish to tune out this mostly biblical review of His Coming – may do so now at your own peril! It is impossible to decry the present distress without delving into the pronouncements, warnings and encouragements found in Matthew 24 and 25, Mark 13 and Luke 21; the so-called Olivet Discourse.
On the negative – what provoked this evangelical outburst were several attitudinal references and one affirmation to the claims of Messiah’s Coming. Again, this will primarily center upon biblical interpretation and will enunciate those positions which are contrary to Pre-tribulationism and challenge us to embrace the Testimony of Jesus both now and throughout the 70th Week of Daniel’s prophecy. However, I am nauseatingly compelled to hang out some peripheral underwear dirtied by some of the most cleverly devised fables to date who persist in their cleverly devised fables to subvert the unsuspecting and sincere.
Sorry, I just can’t get Rick Warren’s indifference to the prophetic out of my craw! Furthermore, the ludicrous remark made by the pastor who claimed that Jesus wasn’t planning on returning for 400 years and, to top it off, could care less about Jews and their so-called prophetic claims to the Holy Land, etc. Then, adding insult to injury, I’ve got this charismatic prophet running around “seeing into the future” where Jesus doesn’t plan on coming back for the next fifty years! (Whereas Harold Camping has Jesus returning in 2011.) Alas! The Lakeland “Revival” has hit prophetic pay dirt and run amok as did the Toronto Blessing, Brownsville and a host of other apostasies which are fomented by charlatans and thieves upon the desperate and dismayed who spiritually long for the reality of His baptism with all sincerity, only to be sorely disappointed that false prophets abound among the faithful and make a mockery of our faith – may the Lord expose such practices and have mercy upon His flock in these awful days of apostasy and deception!
“BOB JONES: “What is the Lord doing? I brought a 100 year prophesy for a long time, let’s look at it.
· The 1950’s reveal the power of God. William Branham, Oral Roberts, AA Allen. The 1960’s reveal the Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit invaded the denominations. The 1970’s reveal the great teachers of God and they began to raise up.
· The 1980’s reveal the prophets of God.
· The 1990’s reveal the government of God.
· The 2000 would reveal the glory of God. You haven’t seen anything. Wait till you see the next two years!
· The 2010 would reveal the faith of God. It’s not (that we) have the faith “in” God; it is to have the faith “of” God. And it’s going to be those that have that earring in and hear what God is saying. And what you’ll do, you’ll proclaim it. And you’ll bring it into being.
· The 2020’s reveal the rest of God. To where you can rest from your labors and God will work His work through you in your rest and in your peace.
· The 2030’s will reveal the family of God.
· 2040’s will reveal the kingdom of God.
· 2050’s will reveal the sons and daughters of God.
· I only saw ‘til 2060 and the church was still here and it wasn’t defeated by any means. It had really grown and looked a lot like Christ. So if you’ve got short range plans, make long range plans.” (Bob Jones ‘word’ from Florida, and “some” back-peddling by Lee Grady, P.J. Miller, May 15, 2008)
So, as we make our long range plans (Ah, for the good, old days and the doctrine of the imminent return of Christ espoused by the pre-tribulationalists!) let us consider the fact that somehow all this looks strangely familiar. Are there the real and the treasured experiences of Christ amongst this deception? Sure there is, just as there were the real and the miraculous, Christ-centered signs and wonders during the Welsh Revival at the turn of the Twentieth Century; but as we read in Jessie Penn-Lewis’ WAR AGAINST THE SAINTS, there was the hideous counterfeit and mockery of His presence among His people at the same time; Satan’s strategy is fraught with such malevolence:
“The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved . . . and for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie” (II Thess. 2:9-11).
Disquieting is Evangelist Todd Bentley’s “bam, bam, bam” acceptance of the prophetic utterance of Bob Jones – coming from the sanctified lips of a man who once advocated the disrobing of women to “stand naked before the Lord!”
“Then, in another review of the Kansas City Prophets, Bill Alnor of the Christian Sentinel reported the following: ‘Jones, who was using his spiritual authority to induce women to disrobe for him, was removed from that church.’ I have contacted Bill personally and he will be forwarding me a copy of the investigative internal report that was published directly by the leadership team at the church where this incident transpired. The Apologetics Index, which is a ministry that researches resources on cults, sects and other religious movements, doctrines and practices, also reported on the matter. They state the following, that Bob Jones ‘was removed from the Vineyard Anaheim because of sexual improprieties, which consisted of encouraging women to undress in his office so they could stand ‘naked before the Lord’ in order to receive a ‘word.’’ In addition to this, several cult watch organizations have put him (Bob Jones) on watch for the same thing. Those are my sources concerning the sexual misconduct issue.” (Ibid.)
Could this actually be the same Bob Jones who was banished from the prophetic pulpit after moral failure and disclosures united him and his Kansas City prophets, like Paul Cain, in some of the most spurious eschatological utterances known to man and sanctioned by the late John Wimber of Vineyard fame? (Note: Vineyard later banished Jones from the visible prophetic ministry within the Church.)
“Last night (3rd May, 2008) according to another blog, Todd Bentley announced that ‘prophet’ Paul Cain was coming to speak at his meetings at Lakeland. Todd Bentley bought him a ticket and had him flown in so that he could speak about a prophetic word he gave in the past about healing revivals filling stadiums (the Joel’s Army prophecies that is, so Todd Bentley paid for a disgraced false prophet to validate his false revival). [Talk about perfect timing of releasing the prophecy on this site about Paul Cain, and the article by Deborah on the New Breed]. Paul Cain is the prophet who ‘prophet’ Bob Jones declares to be the most accurate prophet to walk this earth. The late Vineyard leader John Wimber was so enraptured, bewitched, fooled even (as he later admitted when it was far too late to stop the damage) by Paul Cain - as he was by Bob Jones and other associated Kansas City Prophets - to literally millions of people’s costs - that Wimber introduced Cain in the 1990 Equipping the Saints UK promotional tour (which I attended part of) as “the best wine for last”. (When warned that Kansas City Prophet Bob Jones was immoral, John Wimber retorted “We know, that is why we only let him pray for leaders!”*) R. T. Kendell of Westminster Chapel said of Paul Cain that he was ’his great and mighty conference partner’. [*source Jacob Prasch] (Paul Cain to appear with Todd Bentley at Tiger Town/ Joker Marchant Stadium; End Times Prophetic Words, Miriam Franklin, End Times Prophetic, Prophecy, Visions, May 3, 2008)
So it goes – that in these “mixed results” of God’s move among the imperfect and spawned by the less than ideal assets of the kingdom – we march on through the fog of our own devices, knowing this: It’s a minefield out there; a jungle of prophetic barbs and thistles that leave us all bleeding and suffering from our own lack of discernment and desperation for the spiritually viable – yet we are, so it seems, so eager to rally around the theatrical and the stupendous. . . the cumulonimbus that are but a vapor “that appeareth for a little while, then vanisheth away” and there is none to comfort the disillusioned adversely affected.
With leadership of this caliber, no wonder the church is bankrupt of real power, signs and wonders of His bounty among us. Instead of the Olivet Discourse we have the discordant sound of the oracles whose prophetic projections amount to hallucinations of spiritually infirmed men who trouble not the Scriptures to authenticate their fascinations and fantasies. There is so little true preaching of the Gospel of the Grace of God and of His Coming Kingdom, let alone His Kingdom among us, that the laughingstock of religion is found right in our own backyard – Lord, spare us all from ourselves and protect Your sheep from imposters who feed off their egos and bring Your Name to such shameful disgrace.
But then, how accurate are these days to which our Lord alluded in His Olivet Discourse?
SIGNS OF THE TIMES – NOW LEARN THIS PARABLE
Our focus is upon Mathew 24-25. The time and setting is immediately after Jesus’ final departure from the temple—the temple from which Jesus threw out the money changers and decried the religious leaders of scribes and Pharisees, those “Blind guides . . . hypocrites . . . self-indulgent . . . full of extortion . . . whitewashed tombs . . . full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness . . . inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness . . . witnesses against yourselves . . . sons of those who murdered the prophets . . . serpents . . . brood of vipers” – oh, and you say Jesus was not radical – trust me, He makes the Rev. Jeremiah Wright look like milquetoast!
Now, we must understand the setting – for Jesus reflects upon prophetic history and brings us to the climax of the end of days, to the very “Blessed” found in Daniel 12:12… “Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days” – from Able to His Second Coming in one fell swoop! This prophetic portrayal does not terminate in 70 A.D. by any stretch of the eschatological time clock.
“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 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 Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are 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; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!’” (Matthew 23:34-39).
We must come to terms with the stereoscopic presentation in this highly prophetic series of passages from the New Testament. Oh, the Preterists vainly design their truncated versions and delimit the scope of Jesus’ remarks to the Jewish “house of desolation” – as if the “Abomination of Desolation” occurred in 70 A.D.—but the stage has been set from Able’s blood through to the blessedness of the Second Advent. Therefore, know this, “Messiah shall be cut off” (Daniel 9:26) – yes, crucified, rejected of men, despised and forsaken – but were not the multitude of prophets, wise men, and scribes killed and crucified – past, present and future? Yes, yes and yes again!
“Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show 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” (Matthew 24:1-2).
Do not fixate your prophetic gaze upon the Herodian Temple’s destruction – for, “immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. THEN the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. AND He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:29-31).
These cosmic wonders in the heavens have never happened. Oh, our Preterist brethren have somehow managed to visualize their occurrence in their convoluted time warps – but when have “all the tribes of the earth” mourned? Never!
As the disciples gather upon the Mount of Olives – four days before Messiah is cut off (Matthew 24:3) – they gather at the very site where His Second Advent will occur (Zechariah 14:3-4)! Anxious to hear from Him to “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the SIGN OF YOUR COMING, and of THE END OF THE AGE?” The Holy Ghost inspires Matthew to emphasize not the immediate destruction of the Herodian Temple, but the Second Coming of Messiah and the close of the entire age, not the truncated age of Preterism and of the hyperbolic hermeneutic of these eschatological rapscallions who dare to make a mockery of His coming in glory where every eye shall see Him! Brethren, turn from your 70 A.D. return of Christ and embrace the true 70 – the 70th Week where, at the end thereof, shall the sign of the Son of Man appear in heaven and THEY WILL SEE THE SON OF MAN COMING!
The mood of the Church Age – that 2,000-year time frame proceeding from His crucifixion until now – has witnessed throughout this time, but wholly intensifying until His coming in glory, the following:
“And Jesus answered and said to them: ‘Take heed that no one deceives you (especially, those false prophets which declare 70 A.D. as the finality of His Coming in glory – and those who audaciously claim divinity of one sort or another). For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet” (Matthew 24:4-6).
And, indeed, “the end is not yet” – for only when “this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14). What false restriction do we witness when the Preterist claim that the Roman World constitutes “all the nations” – when, in point of glaring fact, legions of barbarians and countless millions in Africa, Asia and the New World had not yet heard the gospel preached to them by 70 A.D.? What rank distortion of Scripture is this? What hyperbolic defamation of the King’s English has been wrought here? Shame upon these blighted theological nitwits, who, as Paul so well defined:
“They set themselves up as experts on religious issues, but haven't the remotest idea of what they’re holding forth with such imposing eloquence” (I Tim. 1:7 – “The Message” Translation).
Even so . . .
“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are THE BEGINNING OF SORROWS” (Matthew 24:7-8).
I hasten to add here that the “beginning of sorrows” has commenced since the preaching of the gospel and accelerates until that Day, the Day of the Lord, when “the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken” (Matthew 24:29). This same expression is confirmed in the following counterparts in God’s Word:
“And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: Blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD . . . for behold, IN THOSE DAYS and AT THAT TIME, when I bring back the captives of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; and I will enter into judgment with them there on account of My people, My heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations; they have also divided up My land” (that last statement does not bode well for Bush’s “two state solution”) (Joel 2:30-32; 3:1-2).
“I looked, when He opened the sixth seal, and behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood. And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the commanders, the mighty men, every salve and every free man, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the WRATH OF THE LAMB! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’” (Revelation 6:12-17)
Allow me to be wholly unambiguous here. Peter’s proclamation of the gospel in Acts 2 and, specifically, his quoting of Joel 2:28-32 in his inaugural message does not obfuscate the prescient cosmic phenomenon yet future. Peter’s prophetic outburst was in keeping with “the spirit of the prophet” – indeed, the immediate preaching of the Second Coming of Messiah overshadows the aftermath of His ascension as found in Acts 1:11:
“Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.”
There is no contradiction nor hyperbole in Peter’s statements. He is preaching the ascended Christ – the one Who “will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven!”
Yes, the disciples commenced the beginning of sorrows as the Lord told them their fate – and of all those over the millennia who should and would and will suffer for His sake:
“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another” (Matthew 24:10).
And, in the midst of all this suffering, there would be rank deception and many false prophets . . .
“Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end (Note: TO THE END – and that END is found in Matt. 24:14 and described in detail in Matthew 24:29-31) shall be saved” (Matthew 24:11-13).
This should convince us all that the saints – yes, the Church of the Living God – all those who name His Name and declare His Lordship both then and now – will endure until the VERY END . . . there is no rapturous hiccup seven years prior to the pouring out of His wrath upon the earthlings! He will gather “His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other . . . after the tribulation of those days” (Matthew 24:29-31).
THE ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION
The perseverance of the saints (Matthew 24:13) and the preaching of the “gospel of the kingdom” – wherein the Messiah’s deliverance will reach its proclamation zenith prior to the next great event – is followed by this grotesque occurrence from he lips of Jesus:
“‘Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place’ (whoever reads, let him understand) (Note: This parenthetical is in Scripture.), ‘then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s (‘chosen ones’) sake those days will be shortened” (Matthew 24:15-21).
The importance of Jesus’ quotation from Daniel the Prophet cannot be stressed enough for its unmitigated significance – for Jesus to mention the prophet by name and to target his most ostentatious declaration of evil, the Abomination of Desolation (Daniel 8:13; 9:27; 11:31; 12:11) is prophetically cataclysmic at this juncture of the Olivet Discourse. Not only does Jesus dispel the liberal accolades given to the foretaste of this Abomination within the exclusive purview of Antiochus IV Epiphanes as the sum and substance of the phrase – but Jesus most definitely forecasts the event as tangible and yet future. At issue, in so far as the Preterists are concerned, is how far into the future—their claim is 70 A.D.; thence, the call to flee into the Judean Mountains ‘round about Jerusalem.
However, the entire discourse in Daniel concerns the destruction of the Desolator which will occur “unto the end” (Daniel 7:26 –
“But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end.”) – for it is “Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him” (Daniel 7:27).
The Post-Millennialist relishes this verse and sings a chorus of “Fairest Lord Jesus, RULER of all nature!” Albeit, the “kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” (Rev. 11:15) does not occur until the rapture and resurrection of the Two Witnesses (Rev. 11:12) and the judgment or the Eschaton has commenced (Rev. 11:13-15a).
Furthermore, Daniel’s chronological repetitions are incessant throughout the dastardly deed of the Despicable One – and all occur at “the time of the end!”
“Understand, son of man, that the vision refers to the time of the end . . . I am making known to you what shall happen in the latter time of the INDIGNATION; for at the appointed time the end shall be . . . to make an end of sins (“for your people and for your holy city” – the Jews) . . . for the end will still be at the appointed time . . . some of those of understanding (Dan. 12:3, 10) shall fall, to refine them, purify them, and make them white, until the time of the end; because it is still for the appointed time . . . at the time of the end the king of the South shall attack him (i.e., Antichrist); and the king of the North shall come up against him (i.e., Antichrist) . . . and he (Antichrist) shall plant the tents of his palace between the seas and the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and no one will help him . . . But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book until the time of the end . . . How long shall be the end (i.e., “fulfillment”) of these matters . . . My lord, what shall be the end of these things . . . the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end . . . But you, go your way till the end; for you shall rest, and will arise to your inheritance at the end of the days” (Daniel 8:17, 19; 9:24; 11:27, 35, 40, 45; 12:4, 6, 8-9, 13).
Therefore, the cosmic struggle of the Sanctuary – as I have declared on numerous occasions (see here) is THE issue in the final eschatological analysis. There is profound meaning in the words of the Savior in the midst of all His prophetic discourse – for it is the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which draws the reader to these words: WHOEVER READS, LET HIM UNDERSTAND! For if we but read and do not fathom the depth of this contestation, we shall not understand and we shall not be prepared, nor shall we flee. The “Great Tribulation” was NOT in sum and substance the “time of the end” for the Jewish people – it may have been for the Herodian Temple where one stone would not be upon another, and, most certainly a huge number of Jews were slaughtered at the hands of the Romans – but it was not the Great Tribulation and the commencement of that fateful event known by Jesus as the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION.
It is that singular TRANSGRESSION OF DESOLATION wherein Satan is cast down to the earth and appears in the midst of the Seventieth Week of Daniel on the shoreline – yes, the “Dragon who gave authority to the beast” (Rev. 13:4) . . .
(Rev. 12:18) – “Now the dragon stood on the shore of the sea.” (Rev. 13:1-2) – “And I saw a beast ascending from the sea, having ten horns and seven heads. On his horns there were ten diadems, and on his heads there was a name of blasphemy. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard, and he had feet like a bear and a mouth like a mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne and great authority.”
We speak here, once again, of the INCARNATION OF SATAN INTO THE BODY OF ANTICHRIST wherein he becomes THE BEAST! There is no doubt about this supernatural demonstration of evil – the despicable parody of the resurrection – yes, now are the words of the Apostle Paul fulfilled:
“Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away (i.e., the Apostasy) comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God . . . for the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And THEN the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with brightness of His coming. The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with ALL UNRIGHTEOUS DECEPTION among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved” (II Thessalonians 2:3-4, 7-10).
The discovery that Jesus introduces the GREAT TRIBULATION period (Matthew 24:21) as a time of such tribulation that no such tribulation has been “since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be” – to conjecture, as Preterists do, that this event in time took place in 70 A.D. astounds – and why? Because, as the Scriptures emphasize:
“And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved!” (Matthew 24:22).
Either we take these words literally – i.e., NO FLESH MEANS NO FLESH – PERIOD! – or we dabble in the theater of the absurd and make the English, the Greek and all languages of the earth, of no account.
Jesus then proceeds to warn of “false christs – false prophets” – “who will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect – see, (says Jesus) I have told you beforehand” (Matthew 24:23-24).
It is in the midst of this endurance – this horrific contest between the Beast and his “war against the saints” (Revelation 11:7; 12:17; 13:7) – Jesus exposes the rank deception of the Beast’s minions:
“Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it.” (Matthew 24:26).
This is NOT the coming of Christ – nor has He on that horrid day of Herodian’s destruction entered into some “kingdom bliss” as the Preterists allude; no, this is not “heaven on earth” we’re living in today! What a supercilious notion propounded by the fakery of this inane eschatology! Listen, it’s as “clear as the nose on your face” or the Hebraic expression: “For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together” (Matthew 24:28).
This is the END OF THE AGE – this is the SIGN OF YOUR COMING!
“For as the lighting comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matthew 24:27).
Yes . . . .
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days (i.e., those days commenced by the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION – by Satan’s incursion into the human spirit of the Antichrist – for just as Satan entered into Judas to commit the betrayal, even so, he shall enter into Antichrist . . . AND the destruction of the literal yet-to-be rebuilt Third Temple)” – there will be the cosmic signs and “the powers of the heavens will be shaken” – “THEN THE SIGN OF THE SON OF MAN WILL APPEAR IN HEAVEN!” (Matthew 24:29-31).
The sequence is ironclad – the promise is literal and visible – THIS SAME JESUS SHALL COME IN LIKE MANNER! The Abomination of Desolation – the “tribulation of those days” – and then the Second Coming of Christ – none of which have taken place in their prophetic fullness!
THERE ARE NO END TO THE SIGNS OF HIS COMING
From here (Matthew 24:32) Jesus launches into seven types and parables surrounding the final environment and/or the immediate “attitude” which all disciples of the Son of Man should possess at the end of the age, at His Coming. It is noteworthy to highlight each one – for then we shall learn what is our posture in this life – what is our expectation “at the end of the age.”
(1) The Parable of the Fig Tree (Matthew 24:32-35) – prelude to many signs of His Coming
Some have taken this to mean Israel’s rebirth. Some the issue of faith. But the parable clearly signals its own meaning: “So you also, when you see all these things, know that it (or HE) is near—at the doors!” (Matthew 24:33). It is a matter of keen awareness that when these signs abound—even so, HE IS NEAR – AT THE DOORS! “When you see ALL THESE THINGS . . . .” Yes, all these things aforementioned by our Lord in Matthew 24:3-25:31. All “these things” are directly connected to His Coming and the end of the and how we are to know and live our lives in accordance with these revelations.
(2) The Sign of Noah (Matthew 24:36-39)
Noah was “a building the ark” for nigh 70 years! What, I believe, the Lord illustrates here is the supreme indifference to the Noahic flood and, in general, that the Almighty had spoken to Noah. This will be the environment prior to the coming of Christ. The indifference and lackadaisical attitudes prevailing will astound; the total investment of humankind in this transitory life – “so also will the coming of the son of Man be.” The people are either invested in their affairs—most of which, by the way, are legitimate—but indicate where the heart of the people abide. No one’s looking for the flood—but by walking with God, you’re prepared! When THE Judgment comes upon the whole earth – will we be ready for the rapture/resurrection of Revelation 11:12, I Thess. 4:16-17; I Cor. 15:51-54.
(3) One Taken the Other Left (Matthew 24:40-44)
One man taken in the field, one woman grinding at the mill (taken) – and “the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into . . . watch. . . you also be ready, for the son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” – this is not, as the pre-tribulationists (viz., dispensationalists) suggest that the “one taken” is “taken off to judgment” – and that the one left behind is the sanctified. They interpret this to mean that those still at the grinding mill or in the bed are those who enter live into the Millennium. They use the example of Noah who was “left behind” (i.e., saved from the flood); whereas those “taken in the flood” are the unsaved. It sounds backwards and is backwards – the point of the matter is simply to be ready: You also be ready at His Coming.
(4) Parable of the Faithful and Evil Servant (Matthew 24:45-51)
In sum: “Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing” – for “the master of that servant will come on a day when he is not looking for him and at an hour that he is not aware of” – most certainly, just as the Noahic earth could care less, the servant who does likewise, will not anticipate the coming of his master. All the moral implications and interpretations of this passage may impress – but its significance should not obscure its prophetic meaning (the same goes for all seven of these examples, types and parables). So, what should the posture be for the disciples at His Coming? Jesus targets the subjective condition of His disciples at His Coming – not necessarily His Coming. The disciples wanted to know when the present age would end and the literal kingdom commenced. Jesus turned the entire inquiry on its head – His admonitions did not circumvent His literal coming again in glory (notwithstanding, the disciples were expectant that He was talking about His FIRST APPEARANCE and the end of Roman rule), but laid stress upon the believer’s focus upon their Lord!
(5) Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13)
All the controversy surrounding whether or not these are “saved people” is not at issue here. Likewise, all the emphasis by well-meaning but grossly deceived brethren, who make grand issue of this passage to proclaim the partial rapture of the church and the reward of that rapture given to the “overcomers”—overcomers who will be seated at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb and those not “overcoming” will not be so seated (See: Witness Lee). Simply put, they are all virgins – some are ready for the bridegroom and others aren’t. Those virgins with insufficient oil lost out—plain and simple—did not make the Marriage Feast. Again, this is an issue of preparedness – an illustration of one’s anticipation of the bridegroom, knowing he’s coming and preparing for His coming.
(6) The Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-29)
This is NOT a lesson in managing your finances. Here the issue has everything to do with investing the talents given by “his lord” and reproducing those talents – the parable illustrates that the disciples are to be aware of their Lord’s commitments to them and to invest those commitments to be well pleasing to Him at His Coming. At stake in all these illustrations and parables is the issue of loss versus gain – those prepared, those aware of the consequence of what indifference, being ill-prepared, being fearful, being faithless or non-observant, will suffer loss. Those who behold all these signs (the fig tree) as obedience to the Lord (as Noah); being watchful (the thief); faithfulness to Christ; preparedness for the wedding feast; investing in what God has given us, knowing full-well we must be accountable to Him at His Coming; and, finally, treating one another as beloved brethren – knowing this, when He comes we will either be “sheep” or “goats” – the implications are very serious!
(7) The Son of Man Will Judge the Nations (Matthew 25:31-46)
The final and seventh parable and/or illustration must be viewed in context with the other illustrations/parables. At issue is how one lives their life before the Lord – how we treat those we know and those we don’t know will determine if one is a “sheep” or part of the “goat” nations . . . “these (goats) will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous (sheep) into eternal life.” Once again, it all revolves around how we live our lives before the Lord. If one could care less how he/she treats others – well, then, look out! I realize that these verses have been used, even by yours truly, to connote the final judgment of the nations prior to the Millennium; however, the context of these verses demands they be connected to the rest of the parables and illustrations. This, however, does not distract from the Lord “settling accounts” with humankind prior to the commencement of His Millennial reign on earth during the time between His Coming and the period I have described as “the unveiling of Messiah to Israel” – i.e., the 45 days of Daniel 12:12 – “Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.”
WHAT HUMANS WILL POPULATE THE KINGDOM ON EARTH?
The Pre-tribulationist claims that in order to populate the Millennium with humans (Note: Most Premillenarians, aside from the Seventh-Day Adventists and other aberrant eschatologies, embrace the overwhelming biblical evidence that National Israel will be fully ensconced in their Millenarian role on the earth), the “tribulation saints” (those saved during the 70th Week of Daniel – i.e., what they consider the “sheep nations”) will enter into the literal Millennial Kingdom; however, the “goat nations” are likened unto those who have “received the mark of the Beast” – and they are as it says in Revelation: “Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh” (Revelation 19:20-21).
Notwithstanding the Pre-trib (Dispensational) understanding here that the “tribulation saints” are not a part of the Church, they, nevertheless, bear the same Testimony of Jesus (Rev. 12:17) that John the Apostle bore (Rev. 1:2), their confinement of the Church outside the 70th Week is simply indefensible, for at issue here (i.e., in Matthew 24-25) illustrates the spiritual demography of spiritual expectation and preparedness for the coming of the Lord at the “end of the age.” The Bible does not submit the proposal that during the pouring out of the Wrath of the Lamb that ALL humanity decisively refuses to repent (e.g., “Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail, since that plague was exceedingly great”) – to the contrary, there is every indication that prior to the Eschaton, to the Second Coming of Christ and the destruction of the Beast, we will witness the final expression of God’s mercy to all those who are still free to decide:
“Let the nations be wakened, and come up to the Valley of Jehoshaphat; for there I will sit to judge all the surrounding nations. Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; for the winepress is full, the vats overflow—for their wickedness is great” (cf. Revelation 14:17-20) (Joel 3:12-13).
But then we hear this startling disclosure:
“Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon will grow dark, and the stars will diminish their brightness. The LORD also will roar from Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; the heavens and earth will shake; but the LORD will be a shelter for His people, and the strength of the children of Israel” (Joel 3:14-16).
Are these the Millenarian “multitudes” who during the very Day of the Lord “decide” to repent of their sins and cry out to Him? I affirm this to be the case for the Lord is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance – yet by this time so many would not ascent to His claims on their lives:
“And men were scorched with great heat, and they blasphemed the name of God who has power over these plagues; and they did not repent and give Him glory . . . they blasphemed the god of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and did not repent of their deeds” (Revelation 16:9, 11).
Until we read . . .
“For they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty . . . and they gather them together to the place called in Hebrew, Armageddon” (Revelation 16:14, 16).
Yet, in the very midst of this defilement – at the extremity of these bowls poured out upon the earth and man’s utter defiance and unrepentant heart toward his Maker – yes, in the throes of the Wrath of the Lamb, we, again are startled by the interjection of the words of the Son of Man:
“Behold I am coming as a thief. Blessed is he who watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame” (Revelation 16:15) (Note: Smack dab in the middle of the Sixth Bowl!)
The “thief” metaphor is the same thief metaphor used in Matthew 24:43. Undoubtedly, there is a call for watchfulness given at this most amazing juncture—deep within the bowels of the bowl judgments when the Wrath of God and of the Lamb is poured out! Pre-tribulationists and even Post-tribulationists have a great deal of finagling to do in somehow excising this verse from the confinement of the Fifth Bowl Judgment. Is it out of context, oddly inserted, looking back in time prior to the Wrath of the Lamb? No, He is calling forth the “multitudes in the valley of decision” prior to His literal return in glory; thereby, ushering in multitudes who have made their “decision” to be “watchful” and await His Coming in the very midst of the Wrath of the Lamb – these shall be the sheep nations who enter into His Millenarian Kingdom – these shall be those of whom it is said in Zechariah:
“And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles” (Zechariah 14:16).
However, and whatever turned these “last-minute multitudes” that it is said, “Came against Jerusalem” – even these, they shall now “go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and . . . keep the Feast of Tabernacles!” What majestic love is this - from antagonists to compliant sheep is a fascinating enigma known only to God. Astounding – Oh the Grace of the Lord – how unfathomable are His judgments and His ways past finding out!
Friend – you can’t wait until that extremity where His mercy, though it be as high as the heavens and as deep as the depth of the sea, extends His final appeal to you to repent. No, “now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation!” Talk to Him – He’s waiting “at the doors” – don’t let Him be your thief – let Him be your Master and Lord. Confess His salvation as your salvation and bring your debate to an end: FOR THE DAY OF THE LORD IS NEAR IN THE VALLEY OF DECISION. If you are a believer in the Coming One – then get with it – don’t let your investments, your preoccupations, your indifference spoil His Coming – turn your “Where is the promise of His Coming?” into “Even so, come, Lord Jesus!”
HE WHO TESTIFIES TO THESE THINGS SAYS
“SURELY I COME QUICKLY”
EVEN SO, COME, LORD JESUS!
