5 And while some were speaking of the temple, how it was adorned with noble stones and offerings, he said, 6 “As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.” 7 And they asked him, “Teacher, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?” 8 And he said, “See that you are not led astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he!’ and, ‘The time is at hand!’ Do not go after them. 9 And when you hear of wars and tumults, do not be terrified, for these things must first take place, but the end will not be at once.” Luke 21: 5-9 ESV
Luke 21: 5-9 Luke 21: 5-9
And while some were speaking of the temple - So here is the flow, before the widow's two coins we had the warning about the Scribes, those that love titles, greetings and the esteem of men, oh, and also robbing widows. We have the story of the widow who gives her last bit of coin, all she had to live on, to these corrupt people who don't pay her any notice. Jesus points her out, points out the weight of her gift, and then transitions into this, observing some people who were enamored with shiny stuff in the temple and probably indifferent to the suffering widow. "Look at the gold, this is the sign that this ministry is on the right track. Look at the amount of seats we are filling and the amount of people who are putting stuff in the plate, even the poor are trying to buy their way in." It's the cha-ching of the prosperity gospel, whatever you want out of it, you have to put into it. "If you didn't get what you wanted it's not the fault of the system, no, you didn't hold your tongue right, you didn't believe hard enough, you have some hidden sin."
…20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. 22The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.… Matthew 6: 20-22
As for these things that you see, the days will come when there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down - What does that have to do with the widow and her tiny offering that Jesus says was more than everyone else gave? I think many decades of bad sermons on the former, reaching sermons, that want to be tied to better gift giving, forget the context that the widow sits in the middle of. Roman Catholicism did the same thing to Christendom when it departed from the Word of God in favor of it's traditions. Poor people were paying indulgences, a thing to be found nowhere in Scripture, all to fund these enormous buildings, full of shiny craftsmanship, architectural magnificence both inside and out, but void of sound doctrine and obedience. So enter the enemy of the state, Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk who compared Rome to the Bible and found Rome wanting. This started the Reformation, the return to what God said over what man wants God to say. This is Sola Scriptura, which basically means, let the Bible stand alone as the sole authority over men's conscience, as the greatest arbiter of truth, and the source of all sound doctrine derived from the Whole Counsel of God found therein. He printed the Bible in German which was the common language of the people in His area, and this threw Rome into a hissy. Why? Because now more people had access to the light of truth, and they could read for themselves from Scripture things that contradicted the bad teachings of Rome. Rome wanted a monopoly on religion, an aberrant Christianity of their own that they could use to control the masses and assess great wealth. The Reformers made them even angrier because they started opening schools, printing the Bible in more languages and teaching more people how to read. This actually jumpstarted much of the growth and technology that we see today.
Jesus, after talking about the widow, predicts the fall of Jerusalem, the destruction of the temple that everyone is so enamored by. It was to be a house of prayer, a house where this widow could come and hear sound teaching, where someone, a shepherd of the people, would look upon her situation and have compassion. I'm looking at the churches now and wondering, what do you mean when you ask God to bless your ministry, and how have you looked after His sheep? I see a landscape now with many a closed church, and the remaining churches leaving Sola Scriptura, hoping that if they plug into the culture that it will draw a better crowd. Would it not be better to meet in the catacombs in a group of three where the Word of God was held in higher esteem than your opinions and ego? Is your religion towards men and the things that they crave, or God's kingdom, and the dire nature of the gospel? Not one stone would be left unturned, and this did not terrify them, it enraged them; they held Jesus in contempt for this, later accusing Him of speaking against the temple. Ask yourself, do you think the Creator of the Universe is impressed by the things we make with the materials He has left us?
14The Pharisees, who were lovers of money, heard all of this and were scoffing at Jesus. 15So He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God. 16The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the gospel of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.… Luke 16: 14-16
Then Job answered the Lord and said:
“I know that You can do everything,
And that no purpose of Yours can be withheld from You.
3 You asked, ‘Who is this who hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
Things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4 Listen, please, and let me speak;
You said, ‘I will question you, and you shall answer Me.’
5 “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear,
But now my eye sees You.
6 Therefore I abhor myself,
And repent in dust and ashes.”
7 And so it was, after the Lord had spoken these words to Job, that the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My wrath is aroused against you and your two friends, for you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has. 8 Now therefore, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, go to My servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and My servant Job shall pray for you. For I will accept him, lest I deal with you according to your folly; because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.” Job 42: 1-8
…21The troops took sheep and cattle from the plunder, the best of the things devoted to destruction, in order to sacrifice them to the LORD your God at Gilgal.” 22But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams. 23For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance is like the wickedness of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, He has rejected you as king.”… 1 Samuel 15: 21-23
V. 7 Teacher, when will these things be - Understandable question, and imagine the shock of what Jesus just said.
It is worth noting that even esteemed preachers like C H Spurgeon (not a dispensationalist) recognized the destruction of the Temple in 70 A D did not fulfill Jesus' prophecies in the Olivet Discourse, writing that “We must regard the siege of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple as being a kind of rehearsal of what is yet to be.” (Amen to that word from the Prince of Preachers!) (Bold font added)
Matthew Poole (1624–1679) a respected English Nonconformist expositor (not a dispensationalist) wrote that "Most divines think that God in the destruction of Jerusalem intended to give a specimen of the general conflagration, and ruin of the world at the last day; so as the signs of the same kind with those seen before Jerusalem was destroyed, shall be seen before the great and terrible day of our Lord’s coming to judge the world.” (And again "Amen" to the interpretation which results when one simply and literally reads the text!) - Precept Austin
V. 7b What will be the sign when these things are about to take place - He just spoke about the destruction of the temple, the center of Jewish religion. I think it's important to take what is presented here from all three gospels for the most clarity, otherwise some have fallen into error. In Matthew 24 v. 3 we read the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age. This extends the question to cover a vast period. They had started living in the time of the gentiles back when Babylon sacked the city and destroyed the first temple. I think it's reasonable, based on other conversations that Jesus had with them and His entry on the donkey, that the expectation was high that His Kingdom would start soon. He has also told them that He is going to die and go away, and remember this was also prophesied, that He would be at the right hand of the Father, and that He would sit there until He made His enemies His footstool.
Comparing the synoptic gospels, we have three questions...
1. When will the fall of Jerusalem and destruction of the Temple occur?
2. What is the sign of His Coming? (Mt 24:3 - "Coming" is parousia which can also mean "being present" or "presence." At this point of course Jesus had not died or departed, so they are probably using parousia to speak of His presence for they were still expecting Him to bring in the Kingdom of God (a belief which seems to persist even after His death, burial and resurrection, as implied by their question in Acts 1:6-note).
…2“Do you see all these things?” He replied. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” 3While Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?” 4Jesus answered, “See to it that no one deceives you.… Matthew 24: 2-4
V. 8 See that you are not led astray - This will be a prominent sign of this age, growing in intensity till the end, that many are going to say, "God told me, I was sent in His name", and they will be liars.
…7Seek the prosperity of the city to which I have sent you as exiles. Pray to the LORD on its behalf, for if it prospers, you too will prosper.” 8For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Do not be deceived by the prophets and diviners among you, and do not listen to the dreams you elicit from them. 9For they are falsely prophesying to you in My name; I have not sent them, declares the LORD.”… Jeremiah 29: 7-9
…13For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. 14And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. 15It is not surprising, then, if his servants masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their actions.… 2 Corinthians 11: 13-15
V. 8b I am he - Some will go so far as to not only claim to speak on behalf of Christ, but to be the Christ. This is the spirit of antichrist and it has been in the world for quite sometime now, but I think it will culminate most prominently in a single political, military figure at the end. We have seen the likes of those leaders who want to be worshiped, followed without question, like Hitler, Mao and so many others. They say they have the answers, but Jesus says, don't follow them. It's a scam.
36Some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men joined him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. 37After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and drew away people after him. He too perished, and all his followers were scattered. 38So in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone. Let them go! For if their purpose or endeavor is of human origin, it will fail.… Acts 5: 36-38
9Prior to that time, a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and astounded the people of Samaria. He claimed to be someone great, 10and all the people, from the least to the greatest, heeded his words and said, “This man is the divine power called the Great Power.” 11They paid close attention to him because he had astounded them for a long time with his sorcery.… Acts 8: 9-11
Weber on 3 implications of birth pangs - First, “beginning” implies that patterns of war, famine, and earthquakes do have some connection with the end. But they do not necessarily indicate that the end is near. Adding to this concept is the idea of “birth pains,” which begin some time before an actual birth. Second, birth is one of the most painful experiences in a woman’s life. Jesus, choice of word picture indicates that, when the end does come, it will be very painful for all of humanity. These sorrows are continually experienced in history. But as is true with the birth process, the pains will increase in frequency and intensity until Jesus returns in his power and glory. Third, birth is one of the most joyously fulfilling experiences of a woman’s life, bringing about the emergence of something precious, beautiful, and highly valued. Jesus’ word picture looked beyond the tribulation of God’s judgment to the emergence of the fully realized kingdom with Christ in his glory. (Holman New Testament Commentary)
Craig Blomberg on birth pangs - just as a woman may experience false labor and just as genuine contractions still leave her uncertain about the exact time of delivery, so too the events of Mt 24:4–8 do not enable us to predict the time of Christ’s coming. Birth pangs were in fact a common Jewish metaphor to refer to an indeterminate period of distress leading up to the end of this age (e.g., 1 Enoch 62:4; 2 Esdr 4:42; Tg. Ps 18:14). (Matthew, Broadman & Holman Publishers, The New American Commentary) - Precept Austin
V. 9 But the end will not be at once - Revelation goes into deeper description of what the end will look like. There have been wars throughout this age and earthquakes along with many other natural disasters. The frequency will increase, the intensity will increase and the global effect will increase. It will go from rumors about something far away to your doorstep, everyone's doorstep.
1Of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life—whom shall I dread? 2When the wicked came upon me to devour my flesh, my enemies and foes stumbled and fell. 3Though an army encamps around me, my heart will not fear; though a war breaks out against me, I will keep my trust.… Psalm 27: 1-3
The end - Jesus will give a clear, unmistakable visual event in Mt 24:15+ that will mark the beginning of the end of the age. He does not want His disciples to be misled or frightened by these tumultuous events. It reminds me of folks who during WWII said that Hitler was the Antichrist. While he certain manifested the spirit of antichrist in slaughtering millions of Jews, he was not the Antichrist because the abomination of desolation in Mt 24:15+ (and 2Th 2:2-4+) had not yet occurred. In fact there was no Temple (holy place) in Jerusalem in which one could have even stood during World War II. Had these individuals known what Jesus had taught, they would have realized Hitler could not possibly have been the Antichrist. One of the greatest dangers in interpreting eschatology is to use the newspaper to guide one's interpretation! - Precept Austin
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.