Puzzle of End times

 Phoenix: The Puzzle of the End Times Matthew 24:1-15 NASB *Whatever position we take we must account for all of the Scriptures – Daniel, Revelation, 1st and 2nd Thessalonians, and the three gospels – Matthew 24; Mark 13; and Luke 17 and 21. *The Preterist-Futurist View I. Sorting out Matthew’s two questions. a. My first two positions: pretribulation – then I read “The Sign” by Robert Vankampen and became pre-wrath because of the sixth seal and the rapture; why have I changed again – because of the word “genea” translated generation and because I learned 1st century history. b. What goes with the destruction of Jerusalem and what goes with His coming? Mark 13 asks only one question and Luke separates the questions – 17:20 “When is your kingdom coming?” and 21:7 “When will these things (destruction of the temple) happen? And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” The signs belong to their generation before the destruction of Jerusalem, not to the second coming. c. “The abomination of desolation as was spoken by the prophet Daniel.” Daniel’s seventieth seven: “Then after the sixty-two sevens the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.  And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one seven, but in the middle of the seven he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of temple set up an abomination of desolation, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out.” Daniel 9:26-27 *445 BC the decree was made – 33AD Jesus was cut off – the gap between the 69th and 70th would be fulfilled in their generation. d. A Jewish rebellion to Rome occurred in 66 AD causing Nero to send his general, Vespasian, to subdue it using whatever means were necessary. Vespasian first went to Galilee where he took some of its cities “by treaties, and on terms.” (Josephus, The Jewish War, Preface 8). Josephus tells us that “Sepphoris, the largest city of Galilee, received Vespasian, the Roman general very kindly, and readily promised that they would assist him.” (III:ix:8) e. But most of the Jews dug in their heels, so Vespasian pursued them through war. In 69 AD there were three Roman emperors after Nero’s suicide in 68 AD – Galba, Ortho, and Vitellius who eventually gave way to Vespasian - the fourth emperor in one year. The Jewish war continued with Vespasian’s son, Titus, leading the charge on his behalf. In 70 AD, at the three and a half year point of the war, Titus destroyed and burned the temple so completely that not one stone was left upon another. A Roman ensign with Vespasian’s image on it was set up in the wing of the temple and Titus declared that Caesar is God (the outer wing was all that remained of the temple at the time). f. Even though the temple was destroyed and all sacrifices ceased, the war continued for three and a half more years as Titus ran down the Jews to wherever they went. The final siege was in the stronghold of Masada. When Titus broke through in 73 AD almost 1,000 Jews had already committed suicide ending the pursuit, and the war against the Jews. Josephus wrote that 1.1 million Jews died during that seven year span by sword, famine, or suicide. g. “The people (the Roman army) of the ruler (Vespasian) destroyed the city and the sanctuary; the war was for one seven, 66-73 AD; he (Vespasian) made a covenant (treaty) with many (the Galilean Jews) guaranteeing their protection during the war which ended up lasting seven years. At the three and a half year point the temple was destroyed so sacrifices ceased; at that same time an abomination (a Roman ensign declaring Vespasian as god) of desolation (the army itself fought under the ensign and desolated everything in its path) was placed on the wing of the temple; followed by a war that continued three and a half more years. All this happened 37 years from when Jesus said, “this generation will not pass away until all these things happen.” II. The first five seals of Revelation 6. a. I was pretribulation until I learned about the seals. What are they? Conditions that must be met before a contract can be enforced. John weeps – but there is one who can break the seals – the Lamb who was slain alone has the authority to bring about the coming day of the Lord. b. False Christs – the white horse. c. Wars and rumors of wars – the red horse. d. Famines and plaques – the black horse. e. Death from the preceding two – the ashen horse. f. Persecution and martyrdom – the fifth seal. Those who have been “slain because of the Word of God and because of the testimony they maintained” are wondering how much longer. John’s self-description of why he’s on Patmos: Revelation 1:9 NIV “I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.” He encourages the persecuted church to not give into fear but to be “faithful until death.” g. What seems incidental to the gospel in Matthew 24 is seen as released by Jesus in Revelation. Why? The first group (the angels) chose Him in light and a third fell away – the second group must choose Him in darkness – He will secure our love for eternity. If our love doesn’t grow cold in the darkness it won’t grow cold in the light. III. The sixth seal. a. The rapture happens during the sixth seal. i. Matthew 24:29  “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from [r]the sky, and the powers of [s]the heavens will be shaken.” ii. Revelation 6:12 “I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; 13 and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind.” The earth prepares for the wrath of God while the saints are suddenly found before the throne of God. iii. The elect are gathered from the four winds in Matthew 24 and in Revelation 7:9 “I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes an peoples and tongues standing before the throne and before the Lamb.” b. Jews come to Christ as a Spirit of mourning comes upon every tribe when they see the One they had pierced. i. 24:30 “All the tribes of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of man.” ii. Zechariah 12:10-13:1 “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit[a] of grace and supplication. They will look on[b] me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. 11 On that day the weeping in Jerusalem will be as great as the weeping of Hadad Rimmon in the plain of Megiddo. 12 The land will mourn, each clan by itself, with their wives by themselves: the clan of the house of David and their wives, the clan of the house of Nathan and their wives, 13 the clan of the house of Levi and their wives, the clan of Shimei and their wives, 14 and all the rest of the clans and their wives. “On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity.” The sixth seal features national repentance in Israel – the new witnesses. iii. “I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel.” (Rev. 7:6) We learn more of these 144,000 (whether that is the actual number or a representative number for all the Jewish people no one knows) in Revelation 14 when the sixth seal is retold: They are given a new song of redemption; They have been purchased by God and follow the Lamb wherever He goes; They will be His witnesses in the hour of judgment coming to the earth. Revelation 14:6-7 “And I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to those who live on the earth, and to every nation and tribe and tongue and people; and he said with a loud voice, “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come; worship Him who made the heaven and the earth and sea and springs of waters.”; They are joined by the two witnesses to give testimony during the hour of judgment. “And I will appoint my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” Revelation 11:3 c. It is the time of God’s wrath for the whole world. They called to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us[a]from the face of him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! 17 For the great day of their[b] wrath has come, and who can withstand it?” *The wrath in the apostles generation was on Judea – now it’s like Noah’s flood; it’s worldwide. *The Jewish temple doesn’t need to be rebuilt – the Jews aren’t going to be judged again – they’re going to be saved! IV. The seventh seal. a. Revelation 8:1 “When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.” Key to my position is understanding that the whole time of God’s wrath is called one hour. i. “Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.” Revelation 3:10 NIV ii. Revelation 17:12  “The ten horns you saw are ten kings who have not yet received a kingdom, but who for one hour will receive authority as kings along with the beast.” iii. Revelation 14:7 “Fear God, and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come…” b. Seals are outside a Jewish legal document – they are conditions which must be met before the document can be opened. God has ordained that He withdraw all activity for the beginning half hour of the coming judgment before the day of the Lord. Hell will get to do whatever it wants. The seals which are already opened will come to fullness. i. Anti-Christ – seal one ii. War – seal two iii. Famine and earthquakes – seal three iv. Death – a fourth of the earth – seal four v. Martyrdom – the mark of the beast – beheadings – Rev. 20:4 vi. Jewish witnesses and many saved who were left behind – seal six c. The seventh seal is only a half hour of the wrath of God – it is God’s passive wrath done through the anti-Christ. The second half hour is God’s active wrath in which the anti-Christ’s rule is destroyed. V. The first coming of the beast. a. “The beast which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come out of the abyss and go to his destruction.” Revelation 17:8 The Apostle John writes Revelation after one of the rescue and judgment events has already occurred in history (the fall of Jerusalem), and before the final one (the second coming). The early fathers tell us he wrote from Patmos during the reign of Domitian in about 95 AD. Vespasian, Domitian’s father, has long passed away and the Jewish war he had led was already history at the time. Yet John assures us that the beast who comes up out of the abyss, and once was (had already appeared), and now is not (“not” clearly means inactive, not non-existent – he is in the abyss) will appear again before he is destroyed. b. John’s definition of the beast. The beast is not just a man, he’s a demonic personage. The fact that he comes out of the abyss was established earlier in Revelation where he is again called, “the beast that comes up from the abyss.” (11:7) c. His first coming as the little horn. Daniel 7 says that there are four beasts coming and the fourth has been identified as the Roman empire. There will be ten horns or successive kings and then there will be an eleventh who begins as a little horn and he will subdue three of the ten. He is the one who will put an end to Jewish sacrifices. i. Pompey – sole counsel. ii. Julius Caesar – dictator. iii. Augustus – Caesar iv. Tiberius v. Caligula vi. Claudius vii. Nero viii. Galba ix. Ortho x. Vitellius xi. Vespasian – subdued three in 69 AD and put an end to Jewish sacrifice in 70 AD. But wasn’t destroyed by the second coming. God cut that time short for the sake of the elect. The beast was sent back to the abyss and will reappear a second time. d. Objection: History doesn’t paint Vespasian as a bad guy – he was the emperor who oversaw the building of the Coliseum – he was no Nero. Consider the following about Vespasian: i. His propaganda campaign. “Vespasian approved histories written under his reign, ensuring biases against him were removed.[29] Vespasian also gave financial rewards to writers.[30] The ancient historians who lived through the period such as Tacitus, Suetonius, Josephus and Pliny the Elder speak suspiciously well of Vespasian while condemning the emperors who came before him.[31] Tacitus admits that his status was elevated by Vespasian, Josephus identifies Vespasian as a patron and savior, and Pliny dedicated his Natural Histories to Vespasian's son, Titus.[32] Those who spoke against Vespasian were punished. A number of Stoic philosophers were accused of corrupting students with inappropriate teachings and were expelled from Rome.[33] Helvidius Priscus, a pro-Republic philosopher, was executed for his teachings.[34] Numerous other philosophers and writers have had their works seized, destroyed and denounced for being deemed too critical of Vespasian's reign, some even posthumously.” ii. His coins. Judea Capta. Judea conquered. 48 different minted coins – gold, silver, and bronze of all different denominations with his bust on the front and Judea pictured as a defeated, weeping woman on the back. iii. His belief about being the Jewish Messiah: 1. The majority [of the Jews] were convinced that the ancient scriptures of their priests alluded to the present as the very time when the Orient would triumph and from Judaea would go forth men destined to rule the world. This mysterious prophecy really referred to Vespasian…, but the common people, true to the selfish ambitions of mankind, thought that this exalted destiny was reserved for them, and not even their calamities opened their eyes to the truth. 2. According to Eusebius, Vespasian then ordered all descendants of the royal line of David to be hunted down, causing the Jews to be persecuted from province to province. Remember “anti-Christ” doesn’t mean against Christ; it means, instead of Christ. e. Objection: How could Vespasian be the beast of Revelation 7 when everything that happens to the beast didn’t happen to him? Like Paul, Daniel could not see two comings – just like the prophets couldn’t see two comings of Christ. Two mountains from a distance can appear to be one until you get closer. This is like prophecy. VI. The Second coming of anti-Christ.  a. Ten concurrent kings – world-wide empire of terror – they give their authority to the beast after he dies and is raised from the dead. (Revelation 17:12) b. A false prophet who will do miracles including giving breath to a world-wide image of the beast that people must worship or they don’t get the mark of the beast which allows them to buy and sell. (Revelation 13) For half of the hour of trial his kingdom prospers. c. During the second half hour the trumpets and the bowls are poured out ruining the beast’s kingdom, finishing with the coming of Jesus with His bride. d. During all of this time the gospel is still being preached – those who won’t take the mark are beheaded publicly. VII. The return. a. Revelation 19:7-9 NIV “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear.” (Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of God’s holy people.) Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” The wedding feast gets us ready for the return. b. Revelation 19:11-16 NIV  “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. 12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns.He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. 13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.14 The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.”[a] He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords.” *The return. c. Revelation 19:20  “But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. *Slides VIII. Implications of my position. a. We need to have a holy fear of God. Jerusalem was judged; Babylon will be judged – we need to behold both the kindness and severity of God so that we never experience His severity. (Romans 11:22) b. We are not looking for signs, we’re living for Jesus. c. The Jewish temple does not have to be rebuilt for the end times. *The Jewish people are not going to be judged again – they’re going to be saved. What about 2Thes. 2:3-4?  “Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way, for that day will not come until the rebellion occurs and the man of lawlessness[a] is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God.” i. Paul is writing in 50-55 AD The rapture is not imminent yet – first there is “the apostia” which could refer to the falling away under Nero but more likely is a reference to “the departure” all the Jews are getting ready for when the Roman armies come. ii. Vespasian is the one who was set up as God in the temple through the sacrifices to ensigns with his image on it. d. We are in a time of tribulation (darkness) right now but will be saved from the coming hour of judgment if we persevere. e. We are not looking for anti-Christ or the mark of the beast – these things occur after we’re gone. We are to live ready for His coming and ready to be His witness (1Peter 3:15). Acts 1:6-8 f. How close are we? There is a verse that indicates how long the delay will be – Luke 21:24 “They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” *Israel became a country again in 1948 and Jerusalem became theirs again in 1967 in the 6 day war. i. Why the delay? 2Peter 3:9 ii. What should we be doing? Hebrews 10:24-25