Mt 24:1 ¶ And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him 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?
The disciples of course wanted a further explanation.
In keeping with Mark 4:34 He taught them privately.
Mr 4:34 But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.
Jesus’ response to this question was in the form of a parable or message in tongues, which contains a concealed meaning meant to keep unbelievers from understanding His response, in keeping with Mark 4:11.
Mr 4:11 And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all these things are done in parables:
In explaining, His mind naturally looks to the protection of His followers. He knows that His followers are the real temple or dwelling place of God’s Spirit, 1 Cor 3:16.
1Co 3:16 ¶ Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
4 ¶ And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many.
He warns them to not be misled by people claiming to speak for Him.
This deception by people coming in His name contributes to the “destruction of the temple”.
As this applies to our lives we have two witnesses to keep us in the truth.
Number one is the Word of God as presented in the Bible. Number two is an agreement between the witness of the Holy Spirit and our individual spirit. The second is always tenuous, as Eve found out in the garden. Trying to discern whether something is God’s will apart from the affirmation of the written word can lead to deception.
The result of God’s people being deceived is wars etc.
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
Matt 24:7 seems to be a reference to the prophecy of Oded the prophet in 2 Chronicles 15:1-8.
2Ch 15:1 ¶ And the Spirit of God came upon Azariah the son of Oded:
2 And he went out to meet Asa, and said unto him, Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; The LORD is with you, while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you.
3 Now for a long season Israel hath been without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law.
4 But when they in their trouble did turn unto the LORD God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them.
5 And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in, but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the countries.
6 And nation was destroyed of nation, and city of city: for God did vex them with all adversity.
2Ch 15:7 Be ye strong therefore, and let not your hands be weak: for your work shall be rewarded.
8 ¶ And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the LORD, that was before the porch of the LORD.
They seemed to have been backslidden.
2Ch 15:12 And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;
Ho 14:1 ¶ O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity.
Ho 14:2 Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips.
They then as it is called in modern vernacular “renewed their faith”, and God healed their backsliding, Hosea 14:4.
Ho 14:4 ¶ I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Paul seems to have commented on similar circumstances in Gal 4:19 and 1 Thess 5:1-3.
Ga 4:19 ¶ My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, (KJV)
1Th 5:1 ¶ But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
1Th 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
So in answering the Disciple’s question, in verses 4 and 5 He warns about deception, and in verses 6,7 and 8 Jesus tells them of the conditions that will arise because some people will be deceived resulting in their discipline.
This “travail” is the destruction of the temple because of their backsliding.
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.
10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
In the case of backslidden believers, these things are brought about by God so as to encourage sinful believers to renew their faith.
In verse 9 He tells obedient disciples that they will be persecuted by others.
In verse 12 the result of the discipline for ungodly behavior (birth pains) among those who refuse to repent will be that their “love grows cool”.
Ro 13:8 Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
In the case of this parable, God is using this adversity to encourage the rebuilding of the temple. He wants the believers to repent of their sins and then He can heal their backsliding, Hosea 4:4.
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
I understand the “End of the Age” spoken of here to refer not to the end of time, but to the “Goal of the Age”. The goal of the age is mentioned in 1 Peter 6:9.
This is not simply an opinion.
In the conversation, Jesus was asked about the “End”. So He answered in verse 13 by saying that if a disciple endures the aforementioned discipline or “birth pains” they will be saved and verse 14 associates that with the end or result of preaching the Gospel.
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.
1Pe 1:9 Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. (KJV)
15 When ye, therefore, shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Jesus says here that when His disciples become aware of these things {this abomination} occurring in what should be the Holy place (in the lives of other believers) they are to recognize the adversity as being Divine discipline employed by God to encourage repentance.
The obedient Christians are to recognize this and seek refuge in the Mountain (God), Psalm 3:4, and Dan 2:34 and 45.
Even if they are obedient to flee the sinful Christians, as Jesus commands, they are still going to face persecution as He mentions in Matthew 24:9.
Keep in mind here that God is in control of those who recognize that these conditions of discipline are about to happen to deceived believers.
Da 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
The week is the Christian life. The sacrifice “ceasing” means that the Christian had become involved in willful sin from which they did not desire repentance nor seek forgiveness. This abomination causes God to justly bring about desolation in the life of the willfully sinful believer, which is designed to correct them.
16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
This mountain is the Holy Hill from Psalm 3:4.
Ps 3:4 ¶ I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.
The appearance of an “abomination” in Matt 24:15 which causes God to justly bring about the desolation of the temple” is the sign to the disciples that they should not remain in that Holy place.
The “Holy Place” can be a single person, as is the case when scripture tells us not to eat with a willfully sinful believer in 1 Cor 5:11.
1Co 5:11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such a one no not to eat.
The term “Holy Place” can also refer to a group of people, as appears to be mentioned in Rev 18:4.
Re 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
God allows the devil to bring desolations upon the temple (His people).
Why does God allow the temple to be desolated?
The answer is found in Heb 10:26-27 and is related to the concept of “willfully sinning” after coming to a knowledge of Christ Jesus. This is the “Unforgivable Sin” or Blasphemy of the Holy Ghost.
There is no forgiveness for this, so it will incur God’s discipline.
Heb 10:26 For if we sin wilfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries.
The judgment or indignation in verse 27 is the “Desolation of the temple”.
God allows this as His just response to the willful sin of His Holy people.
God’s judgment in Heb 10:27 is said to devour that which opposes (Strong’s 5227). The judgment regarding the willful sin does not necessarily devour the person, as becomes clear when the truths of this verse are compared with those of 1 Cor 11:32.
The judgment can devour the willful sin and eliminate it from the Christian’s life.
If a Christian sins willfully after knowing/learning the truth regarding a matter they will undergo God’s judgment designed to bring about their correction, 1 Cor 11:32.
Keep in mind here that we all think we know the truth, whereas God unquestionably does know the truth. He is also the person who shows us the truth.
So we can be sure we will not be tempted more than we are able, 1 Cor 10:13.
1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
God judges us when He reveals a truth to us and we choose to willfully disregard it, Rm 5:13 and 1 Tim 1:13.
Ro 5:13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. (KJV)
1Ti 1:13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
Here an important truth can be seen. God does not allow unbelievers to understand until they come to Christ. They are not judged until they know Jesus (The Truth). Even after a person comes to Christ God controls the rate at which He allows His grace to teach them to deny ungodliness, Titus 2:11-12.
Tit 2:11 ¶ For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men,
If a person sees the truth and responds they face the decision regarding whether they will humble themselves and obey God’s truth or not.
If they do humble themselves before God they can be further trained by God’s grace to deny ungodliness, James 4:6.
Jas 4:6 But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.
Tit 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;
It is a clear Biblical fact that every person on earth is currently reaping what they have previously sown, Gal 6:7-9.
God’s judgment is His response to our behavior, and that judgment has produced our current state of affairs, whether we understand it or not.
Ga 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Ga 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
Ga 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
When in God’s judgment a Christian has understood the truth and chosen to sin willfully God justly brings about judgment meant to correct the willfully sinful behavior.
This concept of discipline or judgment is called the “Day of the Lord”, not the Second Coming.
The Second Coming occurs on an individual basis as is seen in Acts 3:11-12 and results in salvation, Heb 9:28.
Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
The Day of the Lord is scripturally defined as destruction from the Almighty in Isaiah 13:6.
Isa 13:6 ¶ Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
In Matthew 24:15 and 16 obedient Christians are instructed to flee from the judgment called the “Day of the Lord”.
In this time of judgment, only Jesus and His example of doing what is “right” or “righteous” is acceptable to God as the following verses from Isaiah suggest.
Isa 2:11 The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.
Isa 2:12 For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon everyone that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up, and he shall be brought low.
Isa 2:17 And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.
In Matthew 24:16 Christians are instructed to flee when they are in the company of those who are going to be judged for their willful sin. All sin can be forgiven except the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.
Most Christian teaching is misguided with regard to the blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.
This blasphemy or insult to the Holy Spirit does not necessarily result in eternal condemnation as many teach.
It simply means that instead of being forgiven the person committing this sin will be judged for committing it.
This becomes clear when it is understood that the word “blasphemy” simply means to “insult” the Holy Spirit or the Spirit of grace, Heb 10:29.
Heb 10:29 Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?
The Christian is judged and not forgiven for willful sin according to Heb 10:26 – 27. This means that willful sin is blasphemy of the Holy Spirit.
When obedient Christians become aware of this type of sin existing in a single person or a group setting they are to separate themselves from the willfully sinful believer or group of believers so that they do not participate in the coming judgment associated with a believer willfully sinning, Rev 18:4.
Re 18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues.
They are to go into the mountains or a place of security.
This mountain is the Holy Hill from Psalm 3:4.
Ps 3:4 ¶ I cried unto the LORD with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.
In Matthew chapter 24 Christians which see this abomination in the Holy place are commanded to flee from it to what is called the mountains.
17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house:
18 Neither let him who is in the field return back to take his clothes.
19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
If obedient Christians see the abomination coming and have concerns that keep them from fleeing Jesus says that they will have difficulties or woe.
20 But pray ye that your flight is not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
He tells the disciples to pray that they will not have to flee from the presence of the abomination (the deception of willfully sinful believers) during a time when they would have trouble fleeing from it.
Jesus tells them to pray that they will not have to flee sinful surroundings during a period when they are not growing in their faith (winter or dormant growth, verse 32) or when they are at rest (sabbath).
Pray that you will not have to flee from a Deceived and willfully sinful group when you are a young Christian.
Pray also that you will not have to flee this type of situation when you are at rest, or at a time when you think you are involved in a situation of “Peace and safety”, Jer 6:14 and 8:11.
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
This type of tribulation did not exist in the beginning and should not exist now.
However, Jesus said that if a person lives in a worldly way they will have tribulation, John 16:33.
16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.
This deception or abomination will not be scriptural but will be a deception contrary to Bible instruction.
1Co 11:32 But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.
22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake, those days shall be shortened.
The Days of tribulation due to the abomination of willful sin will be shortened for the sake of the elect (Christians). They will be brought out of this deception through the discipline called the “Day of the Lord” in accordance with 1 Cor 11:32.
1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
So Jesus again tells His people not to follow people who say that they represent Him name but are deceivers who advocate willful sin.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25 Behold, I have told you before.
26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.
27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
Demons who carry out Jesus’ wrath are gathered around a person who is under judgment and has been deceived.
In Matt 24:28 Jesus tells us under what circumstances the “Day of the Lord” will happen, and He compares it to the destructive nature of lightning.
The Holy Place will be seen by obedient believers to be surrounded by its enemies (carcase in Matt 24:28), whether spiritual enemies or physical, Luke 21:20-22.
Lu 21:20 ¶ And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.
Lu 21:21 Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains, and let them which are in the midst of it depart out, and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.
22 For these be the “days” of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.
This situation can also be seen in Revelation 20:9.
Re 20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
The end of this situation can be seen there also – the fire devours the enemies of God and consumes them, and some of the enemies that attacked Israel are converted as Ezekiel 38:16 shows.
Eze 38:16 And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.
So God allows demons to discipline His backslidden/willfully sinful people. Their discipline is called the “Day of the Lord”. He can also bring physical enemies against His sinful people to correct His people and to save some of the enemies who attack them Ezekiel 38:16.
When the physical enemies attack His people He becomes “furious” in Ezekiel 38:18.
Eze 38:18 And it shall come to pass at the same time when Gog shall come against the land of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, that my fury shall come up in my face.
The Hebrew word for fury is the Heb word 2532. It is derived from the root words “hot” 3179 and “curdled milk” 2529. Symbolizing Jesus treading the winepress or churning the butter.
Re 14:19 And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God.
Re 14:20 And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.
Re 19:15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. (KJV)
The destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD was such a time.
The two-fold purpose of the “Day of the Lord” in Ezekiel 39:8 is seen in the results among God’s people and among unbelievers in Ezekiel 39:22 and 23.
Eze 39:8 ¶ Behold, it is come, and it is done, saith the Lord GOD; this is the day whereof I have spoken.
Eze 39:22 So the house of Israel shall know that I am the LORD their God from that day and forward.
Eze 39:23 ¶ And the heathen shall know that the house of Israel went into captivity for their iniquity: because they trespassed against me, therefore hid I my face from them, and gave them into the hand of their enemies: so fell they all by the sword.
In other verses, Jesus compares this “Day” to a time when the thief steals.
1Th 5:2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
2Pe 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. (KJV)
Jesus says only the Father knows when the “Day” will occur.
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
The Great sound of His trumpet is Here shown to symbolize the sending forth of messengers to gather. The gathering is “Out of His Kingdom”. Meaning that there will be things in the Kingdom that don’t belong there.
Mt 13:41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity;
The angels/messengers gather out of His Kingdom or (Holy Place) those who commit iniquity so they can be burned/exposed to the fire or the Devil and His angels.
Mt 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
For all practical purposes, the Devil and His angels are the fire that willfully sinful believers are exposed to in order to encourage their repentance.
32 ¶ Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
The Father knows when these times will occur.
We are told to watch and recognize when discipline from God (which is also called the “Day of the Lord”) is approaching in Heb 10:25.
Heb 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
The reason that only the Father knows when the “Day of the Lord” will occur is that the Day of the Lord is discipline from the Father. This discipline is based on an individual’s behavior.
As God determines that a believer has understood the truth and chosen to willfully sin they are thereafter disciplined Heb 10:27. There are many factors that God considers at this point, one of which would be – did the person “Truly” understand what they were doing?
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
Watching is here seen to be the key to avoiding the “Day of the Lord”.
Just as an aside – confusing the Day of the Lord with the Second Coming is here seen to be a fantasy that has deluded much of Christendom.
We are scripturally encouraged to watch for and avoid the “Day of the Lord”. We are not to avoid the Second Coming.
We are to watch for and be aware of those who are willfully disobedient to God and call themselves Christians. When we see them we can know that the “Day of the Lord” is near. Hence – when we see a dead body (willfully sinful person) we can also understand that when the vultures (demons) are present they will shortly be devouring that person, Matt 24:28.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
(KJV)