Participants:
Series Code: MAT
Program Code: MAT000003S
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00:22 As we begin our study,
00:24 we want to ask for the Lord's blessing. 00:27 So I invite you to reverently bow your head as we pray. 00:31 Our Father and our God, 00:32 what a privilege it is now to open 00:34 Your Holy book and study a little bit of history, 00:39 because we know that history helps us learn lessons 00:42 that will help us in the future. 00:45 And so we ask 00:47 that You will be with us through the presence 00:48 of Your Holy Spirit. 00:50 Enlighten our minds. 00:51 We pray in the precious name of Jesus. 00:53 Amen. 00:56 The title of our third study in this series is Matthew 24, 01:01 the historical fulfillment. 01:03 We're going to take a look at the events that took place 01:07 between the times when Jesus ascended 01:11 to heaven and the destruction of Jerusalem. 01:15 I'd like to begin by mentioning some preliminary signs 01:19 that are mentioned in Matthew 24:5-8. 01:24 And then we'll take a look at each detail to see 01:27 how each detail was fulfilled in the events 01:30 that took place before the destruction 01:33 of Jerusalem in the year 70. 01:35 It reads like this, Matthew 24:5-8, 01:40 "For many will come in my name, saying, 01:43 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. 01:47 And you will hear a wars and rumors of wars. 01:51 See that you are not troubled, 01:53 for all these things must come to pass, 01:56 but the end is not yet. 01:59 For nation will rise against nation 02:01 and kingdom against kingdom. 02:04 And there will be famines, 02:06 pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. 02:10 All these are the beginning of sorrows." 02:15 So, the points that we want to take 02:17 a closer look at now is many will come in My name, 02:21 say I am the Christ, wars and rumors of wars, 02:25 nation against nation, 02:26 kingdom against kingdom, famines, pestilences, 02:29 and earthquakes in various places. 02:31 We want to see if all of these signs were fulfilled 02:35 before the destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70. 02:39 So, let's talk first of all, about false Christs. 02:43 There were false Christs 02:45 before the destruction of Jerusalem. 02:48 Two of these are mentioned 02:49 in the Book of Acts 5:36-37. 02:55 One of them is called Theudas and the other one Judas, 02:59 they sound pretty similar. 03:01 I'm reading now from Acts 5:36, 03:06 "For some time ago, 03:07 Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. 03:12 A number of men, about 400 joined him. 03:16 He was slain and all 03:18 who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing." 03:22 Then you have the mention of Judas of Galilee. 03:25 "After this man, 03:26 Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census, 03:30 and drew away, many people after him. 03:34 He also perished and all who obeyed him were dispersed." 03:39 So there you have two false Christs Theudas 03:43 and Judas of Galilee. 03:45 You also have in the Book of Acts, Simon Magus. 03:49 In Acts 8:9-10, we find that description, 03:52 "But there was a certain man called Simon, 03:56 who previously practiced sorcery in the city 03:59 and astonished the people of Samaria, 04:01 claiming that he was someone great 04:04 to whom they all gave heed from the least 04:07 to the greatest, saying, 04:09 'This man is the great power of God.'" 04:13 So you have three false Christs mentioned 04:15 in the Book of Acts Theudas, Judas and Simon Magus. 04:21 Ellen White also describes false prophets 04:24 that were in Jerusalem closer 04:26 to the time of the destruction of Jerusalem. 04:29 In the book Desire of Ages, page 628, 04:32 we find these words. 04:34 "Many false messiahs will appear, 04:37 claiming to work miracles, 04:39 and declaring that the time of the deliverance 04:42 of the Jewish nation has come. 04:45 These will mislead many. 04:47 Christ's words were fulfilled. 04:50 Between His death and the siege of Jerusalem 04:54 many false messiahs appeared." 04:58 Josephus also measured in on the fact 05:01 that there were false messiahs 05:04 before the destruction of Jerusalem. 05:07 In Antiquities of the Jews, we find this statement. 05:10 "Moreover, imposters and deceivers 05:14 called upon the mob to follow them into the desert. 05:18 For they said that they would show them unmistakable marvels 05:21 and signs that would be wrought in harmony with God's design." 05:27 In words of the Jews, 05:28 He also stated "Deceivers and imposters under pretense 05:33 of divine inspiration, 05:35 fostering revolutionary changes, 05:38 they persuaded the multitude to act like madmen, 05:42 and led them out into the desert 05:44 under the belief that God would there give them tokens 05:48 of deliverance. 05:50 Once again, in Antiquities of the Jews, Josephus wrote, 05:54 "In Judea matters were constantly going 05:57 from bad to worse. 05:59 For the country was again infested with bands of brigands 06:03 and imposters who deceived the mob." 06:06 So we find the Book of Acts, 06:09 we find Ellen White and Josephus all 06:12 on the same page, that false Christs, 06:14 false delivers arose to deceive many people. 06:20 Now, the next sign that is mentioned is wars, 06:23 rumors of wars and social unrest. 06:27 So let's take a look at wars and rumors of wars. 06:31 Jesus was born in a time of unparalleled peace 06:35 in the Roman Empire. 06:37 You see Augustus in the year 17 BC signed 06:41 the PAX Romania or the Roman Peace, 06:45 which lasted until the times 06:47 of Nero in the year 67 AD. 06:51 In that year Nero commissioned Vespasian 06:56 the Roman general to quench the revolt of Israel. 07:02 And this finally ended up in the destruction 07:04 of Jerusalem in the year 70. 07:07 According to Josephus, 07:09 Vespasian destroyed everything in his path 07:13 before he arrived in Jerusalem because his strategy was, 07:17 and now I quote Josephus, 07:19 to leave nothing outside of Jerusalem 07:22 behind him that might interrupt in the siege. 07:27 Thus, there were many wars outside of Jerusalem 07:31 before the destruction of the city itself, 07:34 Ellen White wrote in Desire of Ages, 07:36 page 628, 07:38 "Prior to the destruction of Jerusalem, 07:40 men wrestled for the supremacy. 07:44 Emperors were murdered. 07:47 Those supposed to be standing next to the throne were slain. 07:51 There were wars 07:53 and rumors of wars. 07:58 The Jews have battles with many different nations 08:01 during this period before the destruction of the city. 08:04 They warred with the Ascalonians, 08:07 with the Samaritans, with the Alexandrians, 08:10 with the Syrians leading up 08:12 to the destruction of Jerusalem. 08:15 Regarding this period after Nero, 08:17 after the year 67, 08:19 Tacitus, the Roman historian 08:21 who lived from 55 AD to one 117 AD 08:25 wrote the following about wars and rumors of wars. 08:29 The history on which I am entering 08:32 is that of a period rich and disasters, 08:35 terrible in battles, torn by civil struggles, 08:40 horrible in peace, 08:41 for emperors failed by the sword. 08:45 There were three civil wars, more foreign wars, 08:49 and often both at the same time. 08:52 Quite impressive. 08:54 So he says that there were terrible battles, 08:58 civil struggles, three civil wars 09:01 and more foreign wars. 09:04 And often both at the same time. 09:05 In other words, civil wars and foreign wars 09:07 at the same time. 09:09 Josephus remarked and I quote, 09:12 "All was in disorder after the death of Nero." 09:16 That's in his book Wars. 09:18 Now the question is, 09:19 were there also famines during this period? 09:22 Well, the Book of Acts mentions one of those famines. 09:26 Acts 11:28, 09:29 speaks of an individual called Agabus who predicted 09:34 what is known as the great famine. 09:36 We find the following words in Acts 11:28, 09:40 "Then one of them, named Agabus, 09:42 stood up and showed by the Spirit 09:45 that there was going to be a great famine 09:48 throughout all the world, 09:50 which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar. 09:55 Josephus referred to this famine 09:57 in his book Antiquities, as well as in his book Wars. 10:02 And he called it the great famine. 10:06 Josephus mentioned other famines leading up 10:09 to the destruction of Jerusalem as well. 10:11 And you can find these in his books, 10:13 Antiquities and Wars. 10:15 Ellen White also measured in. 10:17 So you have Acts, Josephus and Ellen White. 10:19 Ellen white wrote the following about famines 10:22 and pestilence in the city. 10:25 The Great Controversy, page 32, 10:27 "Thousands perished from famine and pestilence. 10:32 Natural affection seemed to have been destroyed. 10:35 Husbands robbed their wives, and wives their husbands. 10:40 Children would be seen snatching food from the mouths 10:44 of their aged parents." 10:46 So Ellen White confirms 10:47 that there was famine and pestilence. 10:49 In fact, the pestilence 10:51 became so bad that parents 10:55 even ate their own babies, their own children. 10:59 God had already predicted 11:00 this in Deuteronomy 28:56-57. 11:06 And, of course, 11:07 this is referring to the first siege 11:10 and destruction of Jerusalem in the year 586, 11:12 but the same happened in the second siege. 11:15 Deuteronomy 28:56-57 says the following, 11:19 "The tender and delicate woman among you, 11:23 who would not venture to set the sole 11:25 of her foot on the ground 11:27 because of her delicateness and sensitivity, 11:30 will refuse to the husband of her bosom, 11:34 and to her son and to her daughter, 11:37 her placenta which comes out 11:40 between her feet and her children, 11:42 whom she bears, 11:43 for she will eat them secretly 11:46 for lack of everything in the siege 11:49 and desperate straits 11:50 in which your enemy shall distress you 11:53 at all your gates." 11:54 She will eat them secretly, 11:56 mothers eating their own children. 12:00 Lamentations 4:10 12:03 describes what happened in the city 12:06 of Jerusalem during its first destruction. 12:09 We find these words in Lamentations 4:10, 12:13 "The hands of the compassionate women 12:15 have cooked their own children, 12:18 they became food for them 12:20 in the destruction of the daughter of my people." 12:23 Can you conceive what kind of hunger 12:25 there was that parents would kill 12:28 their own children to eat them? 12:30 Josephus confirms this. 12:32 We find the following words in Wars of the Jews. 12:36 In the meantime, 12:37 countless thousands of Jews died of hunger. 12:41 In every house 12:43 where there was the least morsel of food, 12:46 relatives fought over it gaping with hunger, 12:50 the outlaws prowled around like mad dogs, 12:55 gnawing at anything, belts, 12:58 shoes, and even the leather from their shields. 13:02 Others devoured wisps of hay 13:04 and then there was the incredible horror 13:07 of Mary of Bethezuba. 13:11 I'm not going to read the story of Mary of Bethezuba, 13:15 but Josephus describes it vividly in Wars of the Jews. 13:19 And he describes how Mary of Bethezuba ate her own baby 13:25 because of the hunger that she had. 13:28 Ellen White also wrote 13:29 about the mothers eating their children 13:33 and people suffering of terrible hunger. 13:36 We find in Great Controversy, page 31, 13:39 "So fierce were the pangs of hunger 13:43 that men would gnaw the leather of their belts 13:46 and sandals and the covering of their shields. 13:50 Great numbers of the people would steal out 13:53 at night to gather wild plants growing outside the city walls, 13:58 though many were seized and put to death with cruel torture, 14:04 and often those are returned in safety were robbed 14:08 of what they had gleaned at so great peril." 14:13 What a description. 14:15 And then we have pestilence in the city. 14:17 You know, when there's famine, 14:19 the result of the famine is pestilence. 14:21 People get sick. 14:23 The only other passage in the New Testament 14:25 that uses the word pestilence is Acts 24:5. 14:31 Actually this word can be translated epidemic 14:35 or pandemic. 14:36 It's a disease that spreads far and wide. 14:40 In Acts 24:5, it's using it metaphorically. 14:44 The Apostle Paul is accused 14:47 of teaching pestilential doctrines 14:50 that cover the whole world. 14:51 I want to read that, Acts 24:5. 14:55 These are the accusers of Paul. 14:58 "For we have found this man, a pestilent fellow," 15:02 same word pestilence that used in Matthew 24. 15:06 "For we have found this man, 15:07 a pestilent fellow and a mover of sedition among all 15:11 the Jews throughout the whole world, 15:15 and a ringleader of the sect of the Nazarenes." 15:19 So the word pestilence that is used 15:21 in Matthew 24 refers to a disease 15:24 that proliferates across the entire world. 15:27 Today in the midst of this Coronavirus crisis, 15:30 it's called a pandemic. 15:33 Ellen White confirms this as well. 15:35 We find in Desire of Ages, page 32, 15:39 that she stated thousands perished 15:42 from famine and pestilence. 15:46 Now what about earthquakes and supernatural phenomenon? 15:51 Well, Tacitus, the Roman historian 15:54 in his annals 15:55 describes earthquakes before the destruction 15:59 of Jerusalem in Crete, Rome, Apamea, Phrygia, Campania, 16:04 Laodicea, and Pompeii. 16:07 This was just before the destruction of Jerusalem. 16:10 Tacitus described a series 16:12 of earthquakes during the period 16:14 of the Emperor Claudius. 16:17 This is what he wrote in annals. 16:20 "Houses were flattened by repeated earthquakes 16:24 and as terror spread, 16:26 the weak were trampled to death by the panic stricken." 16:30 Seneca, the Roman philosopher 16:33 and diplomat also measured in stating in his epistles 16:38 that there were earthquakes in Asia, Acadia, 16:41 Syria and Macedonia. 16:44 The Bible commentator Ellicott wrote this about that period 16:49 of history in his commentary. 16:52 "Perhaps no period in the world's history 16:55 has ever been so marked by these convulsions, 16:59 that is earthquakes, 17:00 as that which intervenes between the crucifixion 17:04 and the destruction of Jerusalem." 17:08 During the first phase of the Jewish war with Rome, 17:12 Josephus explained the following. 17:15 This is in his book Wars of the Jews. 17:18 "There broke out 17:19 a prodigious storm in the night, 17:22 with the utmost violence and very strong winds, 17:26 with the largest showers of rains 17:29 and continual lightnings, 17:31 terrible thunderings and amazing convulsions 17:34 and bellowings of the earth that was in an earthquake." 17:40 So Josephus describes vividly an earthquake. 17:44 We find also in his book wars the following a description. 17:48 "These things were a manifest indication 17:52 that some destruction was coming upon men." 17:55 See, Josephus recognized that these things 17:59 that were happening between the death 18:00 of Christ and the destruction of Jerusalem, 18:02 they were not naturally, it was supernatural, 18:05 all of these earthquakes and pestilences, 18:08 and famines that existed during this period intensify. 18:12 He realized that it announced 18:14 something great that was going to happen. 18:16 So he wrote, 18:18 "These things were a manifest indication 18:20 that some destruction was coming upon men, 18:24 when the system of the world was put into this disorder, 18:29 and anyone would guess 18:30 that these wonders foreshadowed 18:33 some grand calamities that were coming." 18:36 And, of course we know what these things announced. 18:39 They announced the coming destruction 18:41 of the city of Jerusalem. 18:45 in the book War, we find once again, 18:49 Josephus writing this, "Jesus ben Ananias, 18:53 a foolish peasant predicted 18:56 the coming destruction four years 18:58 before the outbreak of the revolt." 19:01 And these are the words of this Jesus ben Ananias 19:05 predicting that Jerusalem was going to fall. 19:07 "A voice from the east, a voice from the west, 19:11 a voice from the four winds, 19:13 a voice against Jerusalem and the holy house, 19:17 a voice against the bridegrooms and the brides, 19:20 a voice against this whole people." 19:25 Now, there is another sign 19:27 that is not mentioned in Matthew 24. 19:30 It is mentioned in the parallel passage 19:32 in Mark 13:8. 19:36 And this is in the King James Version. 19:38 It says the following in Mark 13:8, 19:41 "For nation will rise against nation, 19:44 and kingdom against kingdom. 19:46 And there will be earthquakes in various places, 19:50 and there will be famines," 19:53 and now comes the word that is not in Matthew, 19:56 "and troubles. 19:58 These are the beginning of sorrows." 20:03 So you have to add the word troubles here. 20:05 What does the word troubles mean? 20:08 Basically it means turmoil in society, 20:12 internal turmoil in society, 20:14 not external wars, but unrest in society. 20:18 This word is used for example, 20:20 in John 5:4 or very similar word, 20:23 same route to speak about the waters 20:26 of the pool of Bethesda that were troubled or stirred. 20:30 It's also used in Acts 12:18, to refer the stir up, 20:35 to refer to the stirring among the soldiers of the Romans. 20:40 And it's used in Acts 19:23, 20:43 to describe a disturbance over the way 20:46 that is over Christians. 20:49 We find a tremendous increase during this period 20:52 of messianic movements in the Judean wilderness. 20:56 For example, Josephus wrote under the reign of Felix, 21:01 that there was a succession of deceivers and imposters, 21:06 who, and now I quote, 21:08 fomented revolutionary changes under the pretext 21:12 of divine inspiration. 21:14 In other words, they said, there's going to be a major 21:17 uproar in society. 21:20 Sounds very much like what we see happening 21:23 in the United States and in the world today. 21:26 Ellen White also measured in. 21:28 She wrote in Great Controversy, page 28, 21:31 "Satan aroused the fiercest 21:33 and most debased passions of the soul." 21:36 This is speaking about within the city. 21:39 "Men did not reason, they were beyond reason, 21:43 controlled by impulse and blind rage. 21:47 They became satanic in their cruelty. 21:50 In the family and in the nation, 21:53 among the highest and the lowest classes alike., 21:57 there was suspicion, envy, hatred, 22:00 strife, rebellion, murder. 22:04 There was no safety anywhere. 22:06 Friends and kindred betrayed another. 22:09 Parents slew their children and children, their parents." 22:13 Terrible social unrest. 22:15 That's what Mark 13:8 22:17 means when it says that there was going 22:19 to be troubles. 22:22 So you say, wow, 22:23 this was a terrible period between the death of Christ 22:26 and the destruction of Jerusalem. 22:29 Could it get any worse? 22:31 Well, you noticed in the text that we read that Jesus 22:35 after mentioning wars and rumors of wars, 22:38 nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom, 22:41 pestilences, famine, earthquakes. 22:46 Jesus said in verse 8, 22:48 "These all are the beginning of sorrows." 22:54 Now the question is, 22:56 why did these terrible upheavals 22:59 in society and wars, pestilences, hunger, 23:04 earthquakes, why did this take place? 23:08 Who caused it? 23:10 Well, there's no doubt that Satan 23:12 was causing these things. 23:13 God allowed Satan to cause these things. 23:16 But the question is, 23:17 why did Satan caused all of these things? 23:21 Well, you might say it's because Satan 23:23 hates human beings, 23:25 but there's more to the story than this. 23:27 You see, Satan had an agenda 23:29 and that agenda was to blame believers, 23:34 to blame those who had accepted Christ as Savior 23:37 for all of the convulsions that were taking place. 23:40 You say, how do we know this? 23:42 We know this because 23:44 of the very next verse after verse 8, 23:48 it says there, and remember the little word then, 23:51 we noticed in our first presentation 23:53 that Matthew 24 is in chronological order. 23:58 And one of the evidences is the use of the word then. 24:01 In other words, this and then this, 24:02 and then this. 24:04 So immediately after speaking about wars and rumors of wars 24:07 and speaking about nation against nation, 24:09 kingdom against kingdom, 24:11 and speaking of pestilences and famines 24:13 and earthquakes everywhere. 24:16 We find what the hidden agenda of Satan is. 24:20 It says in Matthew 24:9, 24:22 the very next verse, 24:24 then, this is the next point. 24:27 "Then they will deliver you up 24:30 to tribulation and kill you, 24:33 and you will be hated by all nations 24:35 for My name's sake." 24:37 He speaking to His disciples, His followers. 24:39 He's saying, and as a result 24:40 of all of these disasters and problems in society, 24:43 this social unrest, 24:46 eventually they're going to blame you 24:48 and they are going to cause a great tribulation 24:51 and they will even kill some of you. 24:55 Let me ask you, did this happen between the death of Christ 24:58 and the destruction of Jerusalem? 25:00 Absolutely. 25:01 You know, that Nero blamed the Christians 25:04 for the burning of Rome. 25:06 Now, there are other examples 25:08 that we find in scripture itself. 25:10 Acts 5:41, 25:14 here the Jewish Sanhedrin beat Peter 25:17 and John for the sake of the name of Jesus. 25:20 You'll notice that it says here, 25:22 for My name's sake in Matthew 24. 25:25 Now notice Acts 5:41, 25:27 "And they departed 25:28 from the presence of the council, 25:30 that is Peter and John, 25:32 rejoicing that they were counted worthy 25:35 to suffer shame for," what reason? 25:37 "Shame for his name." 25:41 And then, of course, we have the stoning 25:42 of Stephen by the Jewish Sanhedrin. 25:46 In Acts 7:59, 25:48 we find these words, 25:50 "And they stoned Stephen 25:52 as he was calling on God and saying, 'Lord Jesus, 25:56 receive my spirit.'" 25:59 In Acts Chapter 1, 26:01 you have a description of the great persecution 26:04 in Jerusalem for the sake of the name of Jesus. 26:07 It says there in Acts 8:1, 26:10 "Now Saul was consenting to his death." 26:14 That is to Stephen's death. 26:16 "At that time a great persecution 26:19 arose against the church which was at Jerusalem, 26:23 and they were all scattered 26:24 throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, 26:27 except the apostles." 26:28 The apostles, in other words, 26:30 stayed in Jerusalem, 26:31 but the others had to spread out 26:33 because of a great persecution against Christians. 26:38 And, of course, we all know of Saul, 26:40 the persecutor who persecuted not only in Jerusalem, 26:45 he persecuted in foreign cities. 26:48 We're told in Acts 9:4. 26:51 This is when Saul of Tarsus was on the way to Damascus. 26:55 You know, he was knocked to the ground 26:57 and he heard a voice that said, 27:00 "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?" 27:05 So in persecuting, the people, 27:07 Saul was persecuting 27:10 none less than Jesus Christ Himself. 27:13 In John 16:1-2. 27:16 Once again, we find a description of God's people 27:20 being persecuted during this period, 27:22 just like Jesus said, 27:24 they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, 27:27 and you will be hated 27:29 by all nations for My name's sake. 27:32 In John 16:1-2, we find these words of Jesus, 27:37 "These things I have spoken to you 27:39 that you should not be made to stumble. 27:42 They will put you out of the synagogues, yes, 27:46 the time is coming that whoever kills 27:49 you will think that he offers God service." 27:54 You know, the Roman historian Tacitus 27:57 wrote the following in his annals. 28:00 "First, 28:02 Nero had self-acknowledged Christians arrested." 28:06 So what Nero would do 28:08 is he would arrest the Christians, 28:10 and he continues, "Then on their information, 28:13 large numbers of others were condemned." 28:16 So in other words, they snitched on others 28:19 when they were arrested by Nero. 28:21 The tribulation mentioned in verse 9 28:26 is not the great tribulation. 28:28 Did you notice? 28:30 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you. 28:34 But this is not the great tribulation. 28:36 Later on in Matthew 24:21, 28:41 you have a great tribulation after those in the city, 28:46 see the sign of the abomination of desolation. 28:50 So we need to keep in mind that there was a small time 28:54 of trouble early in Matthew 24, 28:57 and then there was a great tribulation later on. 29:01 We also find that the Romans crucified Peter 29:04 with his head upside down and they decapitated Paul. 29:08 Certainly this verse was fulfilled that says, 29:11 then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, 29:15 and you will be hated 29:16 by all nations for My name's sake. 29:20 Now what Matthew 24 29:22 doesn't mention is that 29:24 when this persecution would come, 29:26 many would have to testify before rulers and kings. 29:31 Mark 13:9 tells us this, 29:34 "But watch out for yourselves, 29:37 for they will deliver you up to councils, 29:40 and you will be beaten in the synagogues. 29:43 You will be brought before rulers 29:45 and kings for My sake, for a testimony to them." 29:50 In other words, those who were persecuted, 29:52 many of them were to be taken between rulers 29:55 and kings to give witness of their faith. 29:58 This happened in Acts 24:24-25. 30:03 We find Paul testifying before Felix. 30:07 I want to read that verse. 30:09 Acts 24, those verses and verses 24 and 25. 30:13 "And after some days, 30:15 when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, 30:18 who was Jewish, 30:19 he sent for Paul and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. 30:23 Now as he reasoned about righteousness, 30:26 self-control and the judgment to come, 30:29 Felix was afraid and answered, 30:32 'Go away for now, when I have a convenient time, 30:35 I will call you.'" 30:37 Ellen White describes that this was his last chance. 30:40 There was no other call for Felix after this. 30:44 Also we know that Paul appeared before King Agrippa. 30:49 Acts 26:1-3 describes it. 30:52 "Then Agrippa said to Paul, 30:55 'You are permitted to speak for yourself.' 30:58 So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself.'" 31:04 This is his speech. 31:05 "I think myself happy, King Agrippa, 31:09 because today I shall answer for myself 31:11 before you concerning all the things 31:14 of which I am accused by the Jews, 31:17 especially because you are expert in all customs 31:21 and questions which have to do with the Jews. 31:24 Therefore, I beg you to hear me patiently." 31:27 And then the Apostle Paul gives a beautiful speech 31:30 before King Agrippa. 31:34 Paul also testified before Festus, 31:37 the procurator of Judea. 31:40 And Ellen White in the book Acts of the Apostles, 31:43 page 492-497 31:46 states that Paul even went before Nero 31:50 and testified before Nero, 31:52 and Nero trembled at the words of the Apostle Paul. 31:55 But then after a while, he returned to his old self. 32:00 So this sign was fulfilled. 32:02 Matthew doesn't mention it, 32:04 but the Gospel of Mark 32:07 definitely mentions the appearance 32:09 before rulers and kings when this tribulation 32:13 or persecution occurred. 32:15 Now, what would happen 32:16 when the faithful were taken before kings and rulers? 32:20 Well, folks, 32:22 they would have to know very well the message 32:26 that they were going to impart. 32:28 Notice in the Book of Mark 13:11, 32:32 this is also a detail that is not found in Matthew. 32:35 You remember that, 32:36 I said that we need to take into account all three gospels, 32:40 because they complement one another. 32:42 You see the Gospel of Matthew does not mention the idea 32:45 of appearing before kings and rulers. 32:48 And it does not mention the aid of the Holy Spirit 32:51 when God's people are taken before the kings and rulers. 32:54 So in Mark 13:11, we are told this, 32:58 "But when they arrest you and deliver you up," 33:02 which is Matthew 24:9," 33:05 do not worry beforehand or premeditate 33:08 what you will speak. 33:10 But whatever is given you in that hour, 33:12 speak that, for in is not you who speak, 33:17 but the Holy Spirit. 33:18 Of course, the Holy Spirit was poured out 33:20 on the day of Pentecost. 33:22 And on the day of Pentecost, 33:23 the disciples started giving testimony 33:26 to Jesus preaching about Jesus Christ. 33:28 So when the apostles were taken before kings and rulers, 33:34 the Holy Spirit brought to their minds 33:37 the things that they needed to say. 33:39 Now here's a very important point. 33:42 Don't think that before, because, you know, 33:45 the Holy Spirit is going to help us 33:47 when we are taken at the end of time 33:49 before kings and rulers, and legislators and judges, 33:52 et cetera, 33:53 that if we've never studied the Bible, 33:55 suddenly the Holy Spirit is going to say, okay, 33:57 I'm going to plug in all the information 33:59 that you need to speak. 34:00 No, we need to be studying God's Word. 34:04 We need to know what we believe. 34:07 We need to know how to defend our teachings and doctrines 34:10 and, you know, Ellen White states that thousands upon 34:14 thousands accepted the message through the testimony 34:17 of the apostles. 34:19 And that is going to happen once again. 34:22 You know, the parallel passage in Luke 21:14-15 tells us 34:27 also some things about how God's people 34:31 were going to witness. 34:32 It says there, 34:34 "Therefore settle it in your hearts 34:37 not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer. 34:41 In other words, don't prepare your speech beforehand. 34:44 The information is up there. 34:46 The Holy Spirit is going to be able to bring it out. 34:49 But Jesus says, 34:50 "Don't premeditate what you're going to speak." 34:52 In other words, don't prepare 34:54 a handwritten sermon if you please, 34:56 but whatever... 34:58 But then he says, 34:59 "For I will give you a mouth 35:02 and wisdom which all your adversaries 35:05 will not be able to contradict or resist." 35:10 Another thing that Matthew doesn't mention regarding 35:13 this persecution or this tribulation in verse 9 35:17 is who is going to betray God's people? 35:21 Who are the ones that are going to arise to even attempt 35:24 to kill the faithful of God? 35:27 Well, the Gospel of Mark 35:29 and the Gospel of Luke add details 35:32 that we don't find in the Gospel of Matthew. 35:35 Let's notice Mark 13:12. 35:38 We're told who is going to persecute who? 35:42 It's not, you know, the pagans, 35:44 those with whom we have no relationship 35:46 that are going to persecute God's people. 35:49 Those who persecuted the apostles 35:51 were from their own household many times. 35:54 Mark 13:12, 35:56 "Now brother will betray brother to death." 36:00 See, Matthew doesn't mention this detail. 36:03 "And a father his child, 36:05 and children will rise up against parents 36:10 and cause them to be put to death." 36:12 So in Matthew, the text that we read in Matthew says, 36:15 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you." 36:19 Who is they? 36:21 Mark says, "Brother will betray brother, 36:26 father, child, 36:28 children will rise up against their parents 36:30 and cause them to be put to death." 36:34 Luke 21:16, 36:35 the parallel passage ads. 36:37 "You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, 36:40 relatives and friends, 36:42 and they will put some of you to death." 36:46 Jesus had already predicted what would happen 36:48 when a person accepted Him as Savior and Lord. 36:52 He spoke some very strange words 36:54 because the Bible says 36:55 that Jesus is the Prince of Peace. 36:58 We're also told, you know, that when Jesus was born, 37:01 the angels sang peace on earth, goodwill to men. 37:05 So Jesus is the Prince of Peace. 37:07 But these verses that I'm going to read are kind of strange. 37:11 It says in Matthew 10:34-36, 37:15 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. 37:18 I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." 37:23 Well, now wait a minute. 37:24 Jesus didn't come to bring peace, but a sword. 37:28 What is he talking about? 37:29 Verse 35, 37:31 "For I have come to set a man against his father, 37:34 a daughter against her mother, 37:37 and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law, 37:40 and a man's enemies 37:42 will be those of his own household." 37:46 You know, I taught theology 37:48 for six years in our university, 37:49 in the city of Medellín Colombia 37:51 in South America. 37:53 And one day I was talking to one of my female students. 37:56 Her name was Josephina, 37:58 and she told me her testimony. 38:02 She lived in a very staunch Roman Catholic household, 38:07 but she heard about some evangelistic meetings 38:09 that were going to take place there in her city. 38:11 So she decided to attend. 38:13 She attended on a regular basis and she embraced 38:17 the Seventh-day Adventist message 38:19 because it was the truth. 38:20 So she went home and she told her parents 38:23 that she wanted to be baptized 38:24 and she wanted to become a Seventh-day Adventist. 38:27 Her parents looked at her and said, 38:29 if you joined that church, if you're baptized, 38:33 we are going to totally get rid of you as our daughter. 38:38 We are going to disown you as our daughter. 38:42 Well, she had a hard decision to make, 38:46 but she made the right decision. 38:48 She actually said to her parents, 38:51 you know, I need to obey God rather than man. 38:55 I respect you. 38:56 I love you as my parents, 38:58 but my loyalty to God is greater 39:00 than my loyalty to you. 39:02 So she went to the evangelistic meeting, 39:04 got baptized. 39:06 When she returned home, 39:08 all of her personal belongings were at the entrance 39:10 of the home. 39:12 And her parents met her 39:13 at the entrance and said, "Leave, 39:15 you're not our daughter anymore." 39:18 And that's how she ended up at our university 39:21 in the city of Medellín. 39:23 She came there 39:24 because she had no other place to go. 39:26 She studied to be a Bible worker. 39:27 And then later on, 39:29 married an individual who was studying theology 39:33 and became a Seventh-day Adventist pastor. 39:36 Ellen White wrote in Desire of Ages, page 629, 39:40 regarding Jerusalem, 39:42 "Fathers and mothers betrayed their children. 39:44 Children betrayed their parents. 39:47 Friends delivered their friends up 39:49 to the Sanhedrin. 39:50 The persecutors wrought out their purpose 39:53 by killing Stephen, James and other Christians." 39:57 Now we've spent a lot of time in verse 9. 40:02 We need to go to verse 10. 40:04 What happens when persecution comes? 40:07 When persecution comes, 40:09 you know who is a true believer 40:12 and who is not a true believer. 40:15 Persecution weeds out 40:17 the hypocrites from the church. 40:19 I want you to notice 40:21 what happens according to the Bible 40:23 in verse 10, verse 10. 40:27 And then that is when persecution comes, 40:29 many are delivered up to death by friends 40:31 and relatives and family members. 40:34 It says, then many will be offended. 40:38 That's a way of saying that people 40:39 are going to forsake the faith to save their skin. 40:42 "And then many will be offended, 40:44 will betray one another, and will hate one another." 40:48 So many people are going to forsake the truth 40:51 as a result of the persecution. 40:54 The New Testament shows that there were individuals 40:57 who once embraced the message and then went astray. 41:01 2 Timothy 4:10, 41:03 the Apostle Paul mentions one called Demas. 41:07 He stated, "For Demas has forsaken me, 41:10 having loved this present world, 41:13 and has departed for Thessalonica." 41:16 When the Apostle Paul was in prison 41:18 during his second imprisonment, we find that he was by himself. 41:23 Nobody came to stand with him. 41:25 2 Timothy 4:16, 41:27 we find these words, "At my first defense, 41:31 no one stood with me, but all forsook me. 41:35 May it not be charged against them." 41:38 So many who had loved Paul when he was preaching, 41:42 but now when he was in prison 41:44 and if people came to visit him in prison, 41:46 they would be associated with Paul 41:48 and they might suffer the same as him. 41:51 They forsook him. 41:52 1 John 2:19, 41:55 describes many who were among the Christians, 41:58 but were not really of the Christians. 42:00 It says there in verse 19, "They went out from us, 42:04 but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, 42:08 they would have continued with us, 42:10 but they went out that they might be 42:13 made manifest that none of them were with us." 42:18 And then Matthew 24:11, 42:21 speaks about many false prophets rising 42:25 and deceiving many. 42:27 It says there in Matthew 24:11, 42:30 then many false prophets 42:32 will rise up and deceive many. 42:37 What were the characteristics of these prophets? 42:40 Well, we need to understand 42:42 these prophets in the light of the prophets, 42:44 the false prophets that prophesied 42:46 before the destruction of the first Jerusalem 42:50 in the year 586. 42:51 Jeremiah has a lot to say about false prophets. 42:56 And he states that before the destruction of Jerusalem 42:58 by Nebuchadnezzar, 43:00 many false prophets arose saying, peace, peace. 43:04 This city will never fall. 43:05 It'll never be destroyed. 43:07 This is God's city. 43:08 Don't worry about it. 43:10 And, of course, 43:12 they were proved false prophets 43:13 because the city was eventually destroyed. 43:17 So the false prophets 43:18 that are mentioned here are false 43:20 prophets that are predicting that Jerusalem will not fall, 43:23 everything will be all right. 43:25 Peace, peace. 43:27 Ellen White wrote in Desire of Ages, 43:29 page 631, 43:31 "False prophets did rise, deceiving the people, 43:36 and leading great numbers into the desert. 43:39 Magicians and sorcerers, claiming miraculous power, 43:43 drew the people after them into the mountain solitudes." 43:49 In Great Controversy, page 29, she wrote that, 43:52 "The religious leaders bribed false prophets to proclaim, 43:56 even while Roman legions were besieging the temple 44:00 that the people were to wait for deliverance from God." 44:05 In other words, they were saying 44:07 just like in the Old Testament, ah, 44:08 this city is never going to fall. 44:10 Nebuchadnezzar is not going to be able to conquer the city. 44:13 We can continue just the way 44:14 we are and everything will be okay. 44:18 Josephus adds in his book Wars of the Jews. 44:21 "Now it came to pass while Fadus 44:24 was procurator in Judea, 44:26 that a certain magician whose name was Theudas," 44:29 we already noticed that this is in the Book of Acts, 44:31 "persuaded a great part of the people 44:34 to take their effects with them, 44:36 and follow him to the river Jordan, 44:38 for he told them that he was a prophet 44:41 and that he would by his own command, 44:44 divide the river, 44:45 and afford them passage over it, 44:47 and many were deluded by his words." 44:52 WE find in the New Testament during this period, 44:55 false prophets mentioned, you have Acts 13:6, 44:59 speaking about a false prophet 45:01 whose name was Bar-Jesus or son of Jesus. 45:04 It says there, 45:06 "Now when they had gone through the island of Paphos, 45:09 they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, 45:12 a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus. 45:16 2 Peter 2:1 also mentions 45:19 false prophets and false teachers 45:21 there in this period. 45:23 It says, "But there were also false prophets among 45:25 the people, even as there will be 45:28 false teachers among you, 45:30 who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, 45:33 even denying the Lord who bought them, 45:35 and bring on themselves swift destruction." 45:39 And in 1 John 4:1, 45:41 John predicted that there would be 45:44 false prophets during this period. 45:47 It says, "Beloved, do not believe every spirit, 45:50 but test the spirits, whether they are of God, 45:53 because many false prophets have gone out into the world." 45:59 So there were false prophets. 46:01 We're just following Matthew Chapter 24, 46:03 beginning with verse 4, all the way through verse 14, 46:07 to see if all of these things were fulfilled leading up 46:10 to the destruction of literal Jerusalem 46:12 in the year 70. 46:14 See, this prophecy has a twofold fulfillment. 46:17 It was fulfilled with literal Jerusalem 46:19 leading up to the year 70, 46:21 but we're going to notice in future lectures 46:24 that it has a broader application 46:26 to what is going to happen in the world 46:28 before the world is destroyed. 46:32 Now, Matthew 24:12 46:34 is the next verse in the sequence. 46:37 You find here in Matthew 24:12. 46:41 Once again, it's speaking about a shaking out 46:44 of people from the church. 46:46 People who were once hot in their spiritual experience 46:49 with Jesus and they are going to grow cold. 46:53 It says there in Matthew 24:12, 46:57 "And because lawlessness will abound, 47:00 the love of many will grow cold." 47:05 Now that word lawlessness is very interesting. 47:08 I'm reading from New King James Version. 47:11 I like that King James Version better. 47:14 1 John 3:4, 47:16 in the King James Version states 47:19 that sin is the transgression of the law. 47:24 That's one word in Greek transgression of the law. 47:27 It's the same word 47:28 that is translated here, lawlessness. 47:31 I want you to notice something interesting. 47:33 It says that because of lawlessness, 47:36 the love of many will grow cold. 47:38 Now something cannot grow cold unless it was hot before. 47:42 And so this speaks of individuals 47:44 who were once believers, 47:46 but their spiritual experience with Jesus now grows cold, 47:52 because of transgression of the law of God. 47:57 Makes me think of another passage 47:58 that we find in the Book of Matthew 7:21-23, 48:03 that uses the very same word anomias. 48:07 Matthew 7:21-23. 48:10 You see there's got to be many people 48:11 during this period that claim to be believers. 48:14 They say, oh yeah, I'm with Jesus. 48:16 And yet Jesus refuses to recognize them. 48:19 Why? 48:20 Because they claimed to love Jesus, 48:22 but they practiced lawlessness. 48:24 Notice Matthew 7:21, 48:27 Jesus speaking, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' 48:31 shall enter the kingdom of heaven, 48:33 but he who does the will of my father in heaven.'" 48:37 So notice, not everyone who says, 48:39 Lord, Lord, these people, 48:41 you know, Jesus said, these people, you know, 48:44 they follow Me with their lips, 48:46 but their hearts are far from Me. 48:48 The passage continues in verse 22, 48:50 "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord," 48:54 these are Christians 'cause they're calling Jesus, 48:56 Lord, "Lord, Lord, 48:58 have we not prophesied in Your name, 49:02 cast out demons in Your name 49:05 and done many wonders in Your name." 49:07 Notice that these individuals, 49:09 they prophesied, they cast out demons, 49:12 and they did many miracles and wonders. 49:15 So these things are not proof 49:17 that a person is truly with God. 49:21 Why does Jesus now say 49:23 that He does not know these people? 49:25 Let's read verse 23, 49:27 "And then I will declare to them, 49:30 'I never knew you, depart from Me, 49:34 you who practice lawlessness.'" 49:37 A better translation would be, 49:38 you who transgressed the law. 49:43 Now, was everybody going 49:46 to be shaken out of the church? 49:49 No, absolutely not. 49:52 There's a call made in Matthew 24:13. 49:57 This is what Jesus stated, 49:59 "But he who endures to the end shall be saved." 50:03 In other words, in contrast 50:04 with those whose love grows cold 50:07 because they practice lawlessness. 50:10 There is a group that is going to endure until the end 50:15 or persevere until the end. 50:18 Now, if you look at the previous context, 50:21 you're gonna see that there are three things 50:24 that are going to lead individuals 50:27 to forsake the truth before the destruction 50:30 of Jerusalem and also at the end of time. 50:33 First, persecution by friends and kindred. 50:37 That's going to weed out a good number of people 50:40 who claim to be followers of Jesus. 50:42 Second, this is in verse 11, deception by false prophets. 50:47 That's going to take some others out. 50:49 And three, love growing cold because of lawlessness. 50:54 But in contrast, there is going to be a group that endures 50:59 or perseveres until the end. 51:02 You know, Luke 21:19 adds an interesting detail. 51:07 Jesus stated, "By your patience, 51:11 possess your souls." 51:14 Now there's one other sign 51:16 that I want to mention that was fulfilled 51:19 before the destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70. 51:23 That sign is found in Matthew 24:14. 51:28 It has to do with the preaching of the gospel. 51:32 It says there in Matthew 24:14, 51:36 "And this gospel of the kingdom 51:39 will be preached in all the world 51:41 as a witness to all the nations, 51:44 and then the end will come." 51:45 The word world here is very interesting. 51:48 You know, there's a world, a word for world, 51:50 which we know it's the word cosmos 51:52 in Greek, cosmos. 51:54 That basically is referring to the planet 51:58 or the inhabitants that are within the planet. 52:00 But this word world that is used 52:02 here is oikoumene, 52:06 basically it means the inhabited world. 52:09 And at that time we find that Jesus is speaking 52:13 about the inhabited world of the Roman Empire. 52:17 So in other words, this word refers to the Roman Empire. 52:20 Incidentally, the same word is used in Luke 2:1, 52:26 where we are told that since Caesar Augustus 52:29 gave a decree that 52:30 the whole world should be taxed. 52:34 Well, the whole world at that time 52:36 was the Roman Empire. 52:38 You can find this same word oikoumene in Acts 17:6, 52:43 Revelation 3:10, 52:45 also Revelation 12:9 and Revelation 16:14, 52:50 the word oikoumene, 52:52 which refers to the inhabited world 52:54 in Matthew 24. 52:56 And its first application it refers 52:58 to those who populate the Roman Empire. 53:04 And then the question is, 53:06 did this message go out to all the world 53:10 in that time period before the destruction of Jerusalem, 53:13 all of the inhabited world, all of the Roman Empire? 53:16 The answer is yes. 53:18 In Colossians 1:23. 53:21 Colossians 1:23, 53:23 we find the Apostle Paul saying that the gospel 53:26 had gone to the entire world. 53:28 You know, the Apostle Paul made many missionary journeys 53:31 to all of the realms of the Roman Empire. 53:34 And he established churches everywhere that he went. 53:37 It says in Colossians 1:23, 53:40 "If indeed you continue in the faith, 53:42 grounded and steadfast, 53:45 and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel, 53:48 which you heard," now listen to this, 53:51 "which was preached 53:53 to every creature under heaven, 53:57 of which I, Paul became a minister." 54:02 So Paul is saying, 54:03 the gospel has gone 54:05 to every creature under heaven. 54:10 In Romans 1:8, 54:12 we find another text that refers 54:15 to this proliferation of the gospel 54:19 in the first century. 54:21 It says in Romans 1:8, 54:23 "First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ 54:26 for you all, that your faith is spoken 54:29 of throughout the whole world." 54:33 In other words, the faith of the Romans 54:35 was discussed and was described and talked 54:39 about all across the Roman Empire. 54:43 So Matthew 24:4-14 54:49 were literally fulfilled with what occurred 54:53 between the death of Christ and the destruction 54:56 of Jerusalem in the year 70. 55:00 Now, you're probably wondering about the rest of Matthew 24. 55:05 Well, you know, you have next in this chapter, 55:10 the abomination of desolation, was that also fulfilled? 55:15 And the flight of Christians 55:17 from the city when they saw the sign, 55:20 and this terrible period of tribulation 55:23 where Jesus says, 55:25 woe to the women who are pregnant 55:29 at that time or who have little babies at that time, 55:32 because that's going to be a terrible time 55:34 where people have to flee 55:36 from the city when they see this sign. 55:39 And what about the great tribulation 55:41 that is spoken of in Matthew 24:21. 55:46 This is a subject that we are going 55:48 to discuss in our next study together. 55:51 We are going to take a look at what the abomination 55:56 of desolation was before the destruction of a city 56:00 of Jerusalem in the year 70. 56:03 Actually, the abomination of desolation was set up 56:06 before the city was destroyed. 56:10 We're reminded of the use of the words abomination 56:13 and desolation with regards 56:15 to the first destruction of Jerusalem. 56:17 It was because of the abominations 56:19 of the people that God eventually 56:22 caused the desolation of the city and of the land. 56:26 In the same way we find in Matthew 24, 56:29 the two words, two key words, abomination, desolation. 56:34 What is the abomination and what is the desolation? 56:38 Well, the desolation is the actual destruction 56:42 of the city of Jerusalem. 56:44 It is left desolate. 56:45 But what is meant by the abomination 56:48 that leads to desolation? 56:50 Well, we need to go to Luke where it says, 56:53 "When you see the city of Jerusalem, 56:54 surrounded by armies, 56:56 then know that its desolation is near." 57:02 That shows that we need to compare 57:05 the Gospel of Luke Chapter 21 57:07 with Chapter 24 of Matthew, 57:09 because they compliment one another. 57:11 In other words, what we don't find in Matthew, 57:13 we find in Mark and Luke, 57:15 what we don't find in Mark and Luke, 57:16 we find in the Gospel of Matthew. 57:19 So our next study would be the abomination 57:23 of desolation in history. 57:26 And we will study about the siege 57:29 of the Romans of the city, 57:31 their departure from the city without any expected cause, 57:35 and then how the Roman legions came back, 57:38 besieged the city and destroyed it. 57:41 More than a million Jews perished 57:43 in the destruction of the city. 57:45 But the Christians who had seen the sign 57:47 of which we'll speak of in our next program 57:50 escape from the city 57:52 and when the city was destroyed, 57:54 not a single Christian was destroyed in the siege 57:59 and destruction of the city of Jerusalem. 58:01 So don't miss the next exciting episode. |
Revised 2021-06-27