Let me say it as directly as I can. We have not been told the whole truth about Matthew 24. Scholars have seen historical "facts" and reached what they considered to be obvious conclusions. But "facts" cannot be allowed to confuse what is even more important, namely truth. It was facts that blinded the Israelites as they approached the Promised Land. Ten spies, you recall (Numbers 13) saw one set of "facts", that the giants were real and would eat them up! Two spies saw facts that differed , through eyes of faith, on the same trip. We must read the Scriptures with eyes like the faithful spies, ever believing God is able to do even the most spectacular things. The truth of Matthew 24 can only sink in if every word of it is allowed to hit us full force, attached to our faith.
Let "history" wait. Let men's theories wait. Let us read it as it is! If you have ever read the conclusions of men about Matthew 24, and went away a bit unsatisfied, the reason is that you were made to "understand" rather than to believe. Many scholars feel it is their calling to explain away texts that are "too hard". They do not deserve a following.To the text.Jesus pronounced an amazing statement of doom in Matthew 24:2. He claimed that everything in the beautiful temple site around them would be reduced to rubble! Not one stone would be left upon another. The common people must have been a bit annoyed. And the religious leaders could use this gloom and doom talk against Him later. But the disciples were given grace to come to Him privately and ask merely when it would all take place. The Herodian Temple of Jesus' day had taken decades to complete. Some say it was still under construction during the life of Jesus.
It was an awesome structure, and as the text implies, was made of several "buildings", not just a place of worship. There were a number of separate courts for a number of separate groups of people. There were porches, and stairways leading everywhere, rooms like our "storefronts" to be used for shops. There was even attached to this structure an entire fortress to be used by the Roman Governor when he was in town. And there were huge walls surrounding the entire site, one of which still stands...Were you listening? I just said one of those walls still stands. In plain sight to all of us humans for 20 centuries has been a wall from the days of Herod's Jerusalem that was not destroyed when the Romans changed the course of Israel's history in the year 70 A.D. In fact, Rome, it is said, left it there to remind the Jews of what they, the Romans, had accomplished in their war of near annihilation.
Now, the Jews like to point out that the standing wall was a sign of God resisting the Romans and letting Israel know that His bond with them was unbroken. Whether your viewpoint is Roman or Jewish, the text before us is in trouble. Jesus: not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down" (Matthew 24:2).We are either off to a bad start here or we have stumbled onto something. From the beginning of our search for truth we are being asked to rearrange thinking that has settled in since scholars have convinced us not to look further than their findings. Their findings are that Jesus' words about the coming destruction were fulfilled in A.D. 70. But they have trouble explaining the sequence of the wording that follows in this chapter. And for sure they cannot deal with a certain "western wall" (sometimes called the "wailing" wall by those less respectful of Israelite feelings) that nullifies the literal acceptance of Jesus' words.
"Assuredly I say to you, So here is one important truth upon which to build when trying to understand the end-times: The prophecy of Matthew 24 has not yet been fulfilled! Knowing that leads to some startling conclusions.
http://chosunhouse.com is a website I put together a few months back to get the word out to believers that they need to pray for North Korea. Just about every day I'm writing a blog featuring some news, a book, or a story of North Korea. There's a live news feed on the site, lists of resources, picture essays, and ways to respond to the overwhelming need in North Korea. Let's love Chosun together!
And who am I? A man found of God over 50 years ago, called to the ministry, serving the Lord as needed in my world. Married, member of a local church in the Chicago area, with full time work in public education. Who are you? Would love to fellowship with believers who respond on my site.
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