The Weekend Word

Matthew 24:12-28

¹² And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.

People do get discouraged looking at all the bad news – this is why I got rid of cable TV.

• Peter stands up to say that he would never deny Jesus and he did and he ran.
• In the garden they could not even stay awake and pray with him – and then they scattered.
• So to the Jews hearing this message (and even the disciples were Jews) what were they to think? They remembered when the prophets of old spoke about how Israel would fall away, that they would be taken into exile, that the temple would be destroyed – in Ezekiel the glory of the Lord departed.
• The Jew would think “it’s all over and we are done as a nation.” So as far as they were concerned, this must be the end.
• So when the prophets prophesied the judgment of Israel and the judgment of the world and God setting up a messianic kingdom fulfilling the promise of sending the savior – they think it is all happening at once — and it doesn’t.

¹³ But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

• So that we / they would not despair he says this (v.13 & 14)

 

¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

• So Jerusalem will be destroyed and the end will come – so what is he speaking of? All of the above.

The Abomination of Desolation

¹⁵ “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),

• You must know your Old Testament at this point, and I must stay abbreviated here for time – Daniel 9:27; 11:31; 12:11
• Daniel is writing his prophecy when Messiah would come there would be a kingdom that precedes Christ’s kingdom.
• The main character for this abomination was Antiochus Epiphany 3^rd.
• Daniel lived in the time of the Babylonians, then came the Persians, followed by Alexander the Great who conquered the world. When he dies his kingdom id divided into 4 kingdoms – one is eventually run by Antiochus Epiphany 3^rd–
• Through holocaust he tries to destroy his enemy the Jews – and the short story is that he sacrifices pork on the altar of the temple.
• This is the Abomination of Desolation. He is the foretaste of the anti Christ.
• So what is Jesus warning of? And what about that statement – Let the reader understand – who said this, Jesus or Matthew?
• I think Jesus is saying – “when you see it, you will know what I was talking about.

¹⁶ then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.

• When you see this sign – run!
• This is what many Christians had to do to survive – they ran off to Peraea, called Pella.

¹⁷ Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house,

¹⁸ and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak.

¹⁹ And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days!

• These verses can be summarized by “get out of Dodge fast!”

²⁰ Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.

• Just pray that nothing slows you down. I wonder if the Sabbath allows you to save your life and family’s lives?

²¹ For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.

• The line of distinction is not clear. Is he speaking of the fall of Jerusalem or is he speaking of the last day?

²² And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.

• Hidden under all of this doom and gloom is God’s deliverance.
• The years of 66 – 70 AD were so terrible that we see what the Romans were capable of doing to people.
• Also what the Jewish people did to themselves, those who were trapped in the city itself – starvation, cannibalism and murder.
• The legend is that there were no trees left around Jerusalem because the Romans crucified so many people.

²³ Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.

²⁴ For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.

• Who does your pastor point towards? Himself or Christ?
• False prophets can be very convincing – most of them have their own “christian churches”.

²⁵ See, I have told you beforehand.

• I think everything Jesus warns about is before hand. Jesus is not one to say ‘I told you so.’

²⁶ So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.

²⁷ For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

• This is truth – when Jesus comes, you will not need to be told.

²⁸ Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.

• The false prophets usually show up when there is a void in the real church.
• When the church allows itself to die, when it starts to stink, then the hucksters show up.