It’s erroneous to say the incarnate Jesus Christ didn’t know the time of His return. That’s not what Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32 were teaching [Click on the highlights to read the passage] because that is borderline, if not already is, Kenosis theory. Such understanding runs opposite to the purpose (John 20:30-31) and opening statements (John 1:1-3, 14-18) of John’s Gospel.
“Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” (John 20:30-31)
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him [the Word], and without Him was not any thing made that was made.” (John 1:1-3)
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.(John bore witness about Him, and cried out, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because He was before me.’”)For from His fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, He has made Him [Jesus Christ] known.” (John 1:14-18)
As to what Matthew and Mark were referring to “the day or that hour that was known only to the Father”? Did Jesus not say, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30)? So the incarnate Christ Jesus must know.
Here is a clue for Christ Jesus’ declaration in both Matthew 24:36 & Mark 13:32. Always take note of His Word. Jesus Christ said:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:17-18)
Incidentally, both Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32 were preceded by the phrase “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” Isn’t that precisely what Jesus Christ declared in Matthew 5:18? [Again, click on the highlights to read and see] Jesus Christ came not only to fulfill the OT law but all prophecies as well.
“Then He [Jesus Christ] said to them, “These are My words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”” (Luke 24:44)
Let Scripture explain Scripture. But to learn that discipline, we must first unlearn traditions that are not supported by Scripture. Once again, keep in mind Christ’s teachings: “It is only by hearing His Word and after we have understood it that we may become good soil.”
“As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”(Matthew 13:23)
So here is my final clue. Christ Jesus in both Matthew 24:36 and Mark 13:32 was quoting an OT prophecy, and declaring the certainty of its fulfillment in the generation of Jews He was speaking to. Click on the highlighted link to see. Always respect the context. In both passages, from the context, Jesus Christ was teaching and asserting the certainty of things He declared to occur within the generation of His disciples.
The grave error of today’s readers of the Scripture is that instead of applying the Scripture to its contextual audience—of course unless specified otherwise by the Scripture—they read the Scripture always like it applies to current events. For millennia, that’s been the erroneous habit of Christian readers of the Scripture. So in every century, perhaps as short as decades, there is a sensational declaration that Jesus Christ is coming soon.
Didn’t Jesus Christ promise the apostle John He was coming soon? Twice at the beginning of Revelation (Rev 1:1; 3:11), and thrice at the end (Rev 22:7; 22:12 ; 22:20).
“Soon” to us can never be “soon” to John. Similarly, if it’s soon to John, then it’s definitely not soon to us. Unless you have a different vocabulary for “soon”.
Peter, in the words of Acts 3:6, declared, “I possess neither silver nor gold, but in the name of Jesus Christ, I offer you what I have.” Share freely, for you freely receive. Stay updated by heading to our about page and subscribe directly to receive notifications in your inbox. Blessing!
Despite clear utterance from the Lord Jesus Christ that His return or parousia would be during the lifetime of the apostles, it has been rejected and denied by the futurists – actually, that includes the majority of professing Christians. See my blog “Confused Christianity” on Jesus’ assurance concerning His return.
One of the most often used arguments may be found through the writings of Luke, see Acts 1:9-11.
“And when He (Jesus Christ) had said these things, as they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight. And while they were gazing into heaven as He went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven.””
They believe “Jesus returning in the same manner as He was taken” means a physical return. Was it?
First, let us see where Jesus was going at His ascension. See John 20:17.
“Jesus said to her (Mary), “Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, to My God and your God.’””
Jesus was ascending to His glory, to God the Father in heaven. Isn’t that where Jesus exactly told the disciples He was going? See John 14:2.
“In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?”
Sometime after His ascension, Jesus Christ appeared to Stephen. See Acts 7:55-56.
“But he (Stephen), full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.””
In other words, after His ascension, Jesus Christ, now glorious, is at the right hand of God. Finally, Paul also said the same about Jesus after His ascension. See 1 Timothy 3:16.
“Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He (Jesus Christ) was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.”
Nowhere in Scripture would you find Jesus returning in the flesh, but with the cloud. Isn’t that what Luke wrote in Acts 1:9?
“And when He (Jesus Christ) had said these things, as they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight.” (Acts 1:9)
Consequently, the angels were testifying about the imminent fulfillment of God’s kingdom and judgment as prophesied in Daniel 7:13-14.
““I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and He came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. And to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.”
Incidentally, Jesus made it clear He wasn’t establishing a physical kingdom; see John 18:36.
“Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But My kingdom is not from the world.””
Finally, Jesus said His kingdom cannot be observed but is present. See Luke 17:20-21.
“Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He (Jesus Christ) answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!’ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.””
Aren’t futurists proclaiming the exact opposite of Jesus at His return and the conflicting realities of His kingdom?
Note: Futurist are those who insist and teach that Jesus’ Return is yet to come.
Blessings!
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One of the major doctrines of the futurist camp has to do with the belief in a rapture. Futurists are those who supposed the Return of Jesus Christ is yet to happen. See my blog “Confused Christianity” for the futurist perspective. Again, as I have said in my previous blog (Delusions of Rebuilding the Temple) futurists are great storytellers, though having no valid biblical passages to support their claim. They are good at sensationalizing from nothing.
Now, the supposed “rapture” doctrine was taken from a verse found in the letter of Paul, see 1 Thessalonians 4:17.
“Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.”
The translation “caught up together” is presented by the futurist camp as the rapture. Here is a summary of their storytelling, at least the most popular version of their narrative:
The rapture of 1 Thessalonians 4:17 would be succeeded by a period of Seven Years Tribulation, after which Christ Jesus together with the church would return. Without going any further in their storyline, I detected an error with their presentation.
The futurists also said only true Christians would be raptured, leaving nominal or professing Christians behind for a second chance to surrender to Christ.
Would any dare say Christians today are better and more faithful as compared to the apostles James, Peter, John, and the rest?
If indeed only the faithful ones would be raptured, why then was the apostle John enduring the tribulation and left behind? See Revelation 1:9-10.
“I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet”
Without a doubt, John claims he was already in the tribulation, yet he was not raptured to escape the tribulation as suggested by futurists.
John also said, “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day”, literally referring to the Day “belonging to the Lord (Greek #2960)” – an adjective pertaining to the “Day of the Lord”. See 1 Thessalonians 5:2.
“For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.”
In other words, John was already in the tribulation, which Jesus Christ in Matthew 24 relates to His soon coming, an event preceding His Return, fulfilling His words concerning the Day of the Lord – God’s Judgment Day. See Matthew 24:15-21.
““So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.”
The reference to Daniel’s prophecy has to do with the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple. See “Delusions of Rebuilding the Temple” for perspective.
So what happened? John said the tribulation was happening, occurring in his days. He was suffering and exiled for his faith but not RAPTURED.
There are loose ends in the futurist storybook. Here is a guide from Scripture concerning prophetic teachings. See Deuteronomy 18:18-22.
“I (God) will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put My words in His (Jesus Christ) mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And whoever will not listen to My words that He shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him. But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the LORD has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.”
It is easy to tell a wonderful story that is nice to hear and comforting to the heart. But if it isn’t founded on the truths of the Scripture, then it should be better not to fall into such hallucinations and embrace it as truth.
Blessings!
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Utopia – an imagined place or state of things in which everything is perfect.
I have previously written about my conversion to Christianity on my blog entitled “Regarding Wilmer”. A few days after my only son was buried, a Bible study was started at our home and continued every Monday evening, which lasted for two years. Since then, it has become my habit to read the Bible at every opportunity available to me. I must have read the whole Bible five times over and over – from Genesis to Revelation – to the point that I have practically memorized Scripture. I can easily quote Scriptural verses together with their chapter and verse number. Two pastors handled our Bible study, the first for six months, then I was entrusted to his pastor-brother, who mentored me one-on-one, so altogether two years. I must say, the two, of course, coupled with my regular reading of the Bible, were instrumental in my rapid growth in Christianity. I was then encouraged to study in a seminary for further equipping.
I had doubts about the idea of going to school again, considering my age and time limitation, since I also have to provide for my family, with two daughters still studying. After my conversion to Christianity, I have been so passionate about the faith, and wanting to learn more, so I would eagerly listen and watch every available Christian program, both on radio and television. It was then that I realized that there are a lot of different explanations for a single verse of the Scripture. I knew in my heart that God could not have meant different meanings for His Word, therefore some of the explanations must be erroneous but which one? So I decided to enter seminary study even just for a subject every semester. To make the long story short, I eventually entered full-time study four years later after my initial enrollment as a part-time student.
I remember the day we first arrived at the seminary premises, my youngest daughter – only nine years old at that time – uttered the word “Heaven”. She seemed to have a sense of euphoria knowing that we would be residing in the seminary until my graduation. But the feeling of euphoria was short-lived. We soon realized that’s not true. Looking back, I thank God my family didn’t backslide on their faith, though I don’t mean to say we had a totally bad experience in the seminary. Just as I have said in my previous blog, most of my professors and seminary staff have been kind and a blessing to us.
God truly is amazing. Our experience in the seminary prepared us for our next journey – my pastorate work. But this time, I was armed with my experience and reminded by the Words of Jesus, “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves (Matthew 10:16).”
I have been out of the organized Christian congregation and organizations for more than six years now. Together with my wife and the support of my two daughters, we have been joyfully doing Bible studies in our own small and little way. Gone are the hurts and sad experiences of yesteryears. But as you can see from our about me webpage, we have gone independent and our ministry would primarily focus on Unlearning Tradition and Relearning Scripture. And we know that in doing so, we may have unintentionally stepped on the feet of other Christian ministries. Let us assure you that that was never our intention. Consider us your partner in further learning the truth of the Scripture.
Anyway, as I had said before, eschatology – the study of the last things (click here for a better understanding of eschatology) – has been my favorite. Having lost a son, I certainly want to know for sure what the Bible says on the topic of death. However, in the course of my study on the topic, both in the seminary and later on, the study of Jesus’ Second Coming came head-to-head with the supposed teaching on the final destination of the Christian death.
And on the topic of the Second Coming, it is common for Christians to have an idea of euphoria – it’s more of a utopia once Jesus Christ has returned. Here is the explanation of Got.Questions.Org
The second coming of Jesus Christ is the hope of believers that God is in control of all things, and is faithful to the promises and prophecies in His Word. In His first coming, Jesus Christ came to earth as a baby in a manger in Bethlehem, just as prophesied. Jesus fulfilled many of the prophecies of the Messiah during His birth, life, ministry, death, and resurrection. However, there are some prophecies regarding the Messiah that Jesus has not yet fulfilled. The second coming of Christ will be the return of Christ to fulfill these remaining prophecies. In His first coming, Jesus was the suffering Servant. In His second coming, Jesus will be the conquering King. In His first coming, Jesus arrived in the most humble of circumstances. In His second coming, Jesus will arrive with the armies of heaven at His side.
The Old Testament prophets did not make clearly this distinction between the two comings.This can be seen in Isaiah 7:14, 9:6-7 and Zechariah 14:4. As a result of the prophecies seeming to speak of two individuals, many Jewish scholars believed there would be both a suffering Messiah and a conquering Messiah. What they failed to understand is that there is only one Messiah and He would fulfill both roles. Jesus fulfilled the role of the suffering servant (Isaiah chapter 53) in His first coming. Jesus will fulfill the role of Israel’s deliverer and King in His second coming.Zechariah 12:10 and Revelation 1:7, describing the second coming, look back to Jesus being pierced. Israel, and the whole world, will mourn for not having accepted the Messiah the first time He came.
After Jesus ascended into heaven, the angels declared to the apostles, “‘Men of Galilee,’ they said, ‘why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven’” (Acts 1:11). Zechariah 14:4 identifies the location of the second coming as the Mount of Olives. Matthew 24:30 declares, “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.”Titus 2:13 describes the second coming as a “glorious appearing.”
The second coming is spoken of in greatest detail in Revelation 19:11-16, “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 makes war. 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. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. ‘He will rule them with an iron scepter.’ He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.”
Merriam-Webster Dictionary defined “utopia” as a place of ideal perfection especially in laws, government, and social conditions. That is exactly the expectation and understanding of Christians once the Second Coming was fulfilled. So that explains why even well-known Christian writers and scholars would suggest that Jesus was hallucinating when He told His immediate disciples that He would be coming in their generation. See a statement made by famed Christian theologian C.S. Lewis.
Famed Christian theologian C.S. Lewis, author of The Chronicles of Narnia, said this about this passage:
“Say what you like,” we shall be told, “the apocalyptic beliefs of the first Christians have been proved to be false. It is clear from the New Testament that they all expected the Second Coming in their own lifetime. And, worse still, they had a reason, and one which you will find very embarrassing. Their Master had told them so. He shared, and indeed created, their delusion. He said in so many words, ‘this generation shall not pass till all these things be done.’ And he was wrong. He clearly knew no more about the end of the world than anyone else. It is certainly the most embarrassing verse in the Bible.” (C.S. Lewis, The World’s Last Night: And Other Essays, p.97)
As you can see, C.S. Lewis, in his book entitled “The World’s Last Night: And Other Essays” on pages 97-98 made that statement. Click here to read a free PDF copy of the said book. Herein are the passages that they denied as infallible – without error:
In Matthew 24:34, Jesus Christ assured His disciples – Peter, James, John, and the others – telling them the certainty of the destruction of Jerusalem together with the temple – the sign of His return in their generation. See Matthew24:2,15-31, saying “Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.”
In Matthew 16:27-28, Jesus Christ told His disciples that He would build His church (Matt. 16:18-19), and about His impending death and resurrection (Matt. 16:21), then assuring the twelve that His return would be within their lifetime, saying, “For the Son of Man is going to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will repay each person according to what He has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.”
In Matthew 10:23, Jesus Christ sent out the twelve to preach about the arrival of God’s kingdom (Matt. 10:5-6), telling them about the dangers and importance of their message, saying, “When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Man comes.”
Do you understand the implication of isolating some of Jesus’ promises, making it appear it’s not true or He was wrong, simply because it does not conform to the idea of utopia once Jesus Christ had returned? In effect, C.S. Lewis and the likes have put the Words of Christ to the test. In Matthew 4:7, at the temptation of Jesus Christ, He told the devil, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Are we free to pick and choose which promises of the Scripture are true or not, simply because it does not agree with our ideas? Don’t we understand that was precisely the temptation of Adam and Eve when the Serpent put the Word of God to a test?
The popular and prevailing understanding of Jesus’ Second Coming, without a doubt, is difficult to unlearn. But an in-depth study of the Scripture would certainly liberate us from the trap. Let us first take a second look at the statement of Got.Questions.Org on the topic of the Second Coming:
First, about GotQuestions.Org’s explainer on the topic of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, “The Old Testament prophets did not make clearly this distinction between the two comings.”
What distinction?
The second coming of Christ will be the return of Christ to fulfill these remaining prophecies. In His first coming, Jesus was the suffering Servant. In His second coming, Jesus will be the conquering King. In His first coming, Jesus arrived in the most humble of circumstances. In His second coming, Jesus will arrive with the armies of heaven at His side.
That was a correct observation, but it does not mean the First and Second Comings would be separated by millennia and ongoing. The First and Second Comings actually refers to the fulfillment of Leviticus 23 Seven Jewish Festivals, which could be simplified as two Jewish Harvest Festivals – the Spring and Fall Festivals.
The Spring harvest festival began with both the Passover and Unleavened Bread feasts; next, the Feast of Firstfruit; and lastly, the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost. All four festivals had been fulfilled with the supposed “First Coming of Jesus Christ”.
For the Passover and unleavened bread, see 1 Corinthians 5:7-8.
Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
For the Feast of Firstfruit, 1 Corinthians 15:20.
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.
And for the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost, Acts 2:1-4,12-21,38-41.
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1-4)
And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.” But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’(Acts 2:12-21)
And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. (Acts 2:38-41)
The second half of the Seven Jewish Feasts refers to the Fall Harvest Festival – namely, the Feast of Trumpets; the Day of Atonement; and lastly, the Feast of Booths, covering the supposed Second Coming of Jesus Christ. To read more about the Fall Harvest Festival, go to my blog “Let The Reader Understand”
Hence, Jesus in Matthew 24:29-35 said:
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 heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that He is near, at the very gates.Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
Here goes the most embarrassing verse, according to C.S. Lewis. Jesus Christ told His disciples that His return would be upon “this generation” – the generation that would see all that He had spoken, mainly the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple. It happened in 70 A.D., therefore it was indeed witnessed by the first generation of Christians, possibly including John, a witness in the tribulation. See Revelation 1:9.
I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
John cannot be talking about any other tribulation because Jesus Christ said:
For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. (Matthew 24:21)
Here is an excerpt from Got.Questions.Org regarding Jerusalem Temple:
Cline states that the city was completely destroyed at least twice, once by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar (2 Kings 25:8-10) and again by the Romans under Titus in AD 70.
The coming of Jesus Christ was the inauguration of the New Covenant, promised in the Old Testament Scripture, which will be completed upon His return. See first Jeremiah 31:27-34.
Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast. And it shall come to pass that as I have watched over them to pluck up and break down, to overthrow, destroy, and bring harm, so I will watch over them to build and to plant, declares the LORD. In those days they shall no longer say: ‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the children’s teeth are set on edge.’ But everyone shall die for his own iniquity. Each man who eats sour grapes, his teeth shall be set on edge. Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah,not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the LORD. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put My law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be My people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.
Next, in Hebrews 12:22-26, the author of Hebrews speaking to believers awaiting the return of Christ Jesus said:
But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, and to the assembly of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. See that you do not refuse Him who is speaking. For if they did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, much less will we escape if we reject Him who warns from heaven. At that time His voice shook the earth, but now He has promised, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.”
So indeed, the coming of Jesus Christ was the arrival or commencing of the New Covenant. And it also said, “Yet once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” In other words, the shaking of the heavens and earth had occurred before, it’s not a happening only at the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Since we adhere that the Bible is infallible, without error, then it demands that the statement is a truthful and factual.
In that case, if we follow the ideas concerning the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, then why are we still here? There seems to be no utopia after all.
You know what, it was because those were Hebrew covenant language. Yes, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1)“ was/is a covenant language.
Now see Isaiah 64:1-12. Isaiah, knowing that God’s judgment was upon Israel, the destruction of Jerusalem and its temple by the Babylonian and the Jewish exile, pleaded for God’s mercy said:
Oh that You [the LORD God] would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at Your presence— as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil— to make Your name known to Your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at Your presence! When You did awesome things that we did not look for, You came down, the mountains quaked at Your presence.From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him. You meet him who joyfully works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we [Israel] sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved? We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. There is no one who calls upon Your name, who rouses himself to take hold of You; for You have hidden Your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities. But now, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and You are our potter; we are all the work of Your hand. Be not so terribly angry, O LORD, and remember not iniquity forever. Behold, please look, we are all Your people.Your holy cities have become a wilderness; Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.Our holy and beautiful house, where our fathers praised you, has been burned by fire, and all our pleasant places have become ruins.Will you restrain yourself at these things, O LORD? Will you keep silent, and afflict us so terribly?
In biblical history, Nebuchadnezzar is most famous for the conquering of Judah and the destruction of Judah and Jerusalem in 586 BC
The first destruction of Jerusalem and its temple was God’s rejection of His people, Israel. Isaiah said, that at His (first) judgment in 586 BC, the Babylonians destroyed Jerusalem (Isaiah 64:10-11), God came down (Isaiah 64:3), and the mountains quaked at His presence.
If we take the Hebrew language literally and follow the ideas of the traditional teaching on the Second Coming, God came down in 586 BC, so utopia follows – the history of mankind should have ceased right then and there. Don’t you think we truly need to Unlearn Tradition and Relearn Scripture?
The Son of Man coming in the cloud was a Hebrew metaphor for the coming final judgment of God against Old Covenant Israel. See Daniel 7:9-14.
As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of Days took His seat; His clothing was white as snow, and the hair of His head like pure wool; His throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came out from before Him; a thousand thousands served Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him; the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened. “I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked, the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire.As for the rest of the beasts, their dominion was taken away, but their lives were prolonged for a season and a time. “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a Son of Man, and He came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him.And to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him; His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.
The “Son of Man” is Jesus Christ. See Matthew 10:23.
When they persecute you in one town, flee to the next, for truly, I say to you, you will not have gone through all the towns of Israel before the Son of Mancomes.
See also Matthew 16:13-16,24-28.
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” … Then Jesus told His disciples, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Mancoming in His kingdom.”
Lastly, Matthew 24:27-35.
For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. “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 heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that He is near, at the very gates. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
A lot of people who deny the Words of Christ, that He was coming in the lifetime of Peter, James, and John, do not realize that without the return of Jesus Christ, “salvation remains to be a promise, not yet a reality”. See Hebrews 9:28
So also Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for Him.
See also Revelation 14:12-20.
Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a Son of Man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to Him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” So He who sat on the cloud swung His sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped. Then another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, the angel who has authority over the fire, and he called with a loud voice to the one who had the sharp sickle, “Put in your sickle and gather the clusters from the vine of the earth, for its grapes are ripe.” So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia.
Do you realize what you have just read? Christians who have died have finally found rest, only after God’s final judgment on the city of Old Covenant Jerusalem. That is why, before Christ’s Second Coming and final judgment, Revelation 6:9-11 said:
When He [Jesus Christ] opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the witness they had borne. They cried out with a loud voice, “O Sovereign Lord, holy and true, how long before you will judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Then they were each given a white robe and told to rest a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers should be complete, who were to be killed as they themselves had been.
That is exactly what I have been explaining before the denial of Christ’s return has created an eschatological divide with the doctrine of Christian death. To understand further, go to my blog “The Eschatological Divide”.
Therefore, the Second Coming of Jesus Christ halted the Old Covenant, while the New Covenant was completed. So it’s not the utopia that follows but the fullness of the New Covenant, for we are now in the Christian age, and the Eternal Gospel must be proclaimed to all. And Scripture spoke of no end for the New Covenant or the Christian Age.
See 2 Corinthians 5:16-21. Here is an “already but not yet” statement from Paul. He asked the believers to focus on what’s about to completed, not on what’s passing away.
From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh [circumcision]. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to Himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making His appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake He [God the Father] made Him [Jesus Christ] to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
See Revelation 14:6-8.
Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come, and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.” Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.”
Old Covenant Jerusalem was Babylon the Great, not Rome, as it was traditionally taught and believed. See Revelation 17:3-5. Babylon the Great was the woman seated on a scarlet beast, which had seven heads and ten horns.
As you can see, if your compass is defective, you would never locate the right direction. The same may be said of Scripture. If you misidentify a biblical reference, off you go with your imagination.
The “seven heads” are seven mountains (or hills in Greek) on which the woman was seated. Revelation 17:9-10 says “The seven heads also are seven kings, five have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he comes he must remain only a little while.”
Rome is always known (click here) as the city on seven hills. The Seven heads were the Seven Kings or Emperors of Rome – namely: 1st, Julius Caesar (44 BC); 2nd, Augustus Caesar (27BC – 14AD); 3rd, Tiberius Caesar (14-37 AD); 4th, Caligula Caesar (37-41 AD); 5th, Claudius Caesar (41-54 AD); and finally, 6th, Nero Caesar (54-68 AD). Source: click here.
Note: Jews have always considered Julius Caesar as the first of Rome’s emperors. They are more inclined to call him king. See John 19:15 – “We have no king but Caesar.” It was said that under Julius Caesar, Judaism was officially recognized as a legal religion, a policy followed by the first Roman emperor, Augustus. Source: click here.
“Five have fallen, one is” – that was Nero Caesar. Therefore, the Book of Revelation was written by John during Nero’s reign, not in the late 90s as suggested again based on tradition.
The “woman,” “Babylon the Great”, also was the “great city”. See Revelation 17:18, where John revealed that it was the great city where Jesus Christ was crucified (Revelation 11:8); therefore it was Old Covenant Jerusalem. Isn’t it clear that all prophecies of Scripture had been fulfilled?
So what now? The apostle John in Revelation 22:7-20 has these remaining important last words from the Lord Jesus Christ.
And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book. I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed them to me, but he said to me, “You must not do that! I am a fellow servant with you and your brothers the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.” And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near.(Revelation 22:7-10)
Note: Unlike Daniel who was told to seal the book, for the things he wrote refers to the time of the end (it’s the time of the end, not end times; see Daniel 12:9), John was told not to seal this book of the prophecy – meaning, it’s a revelation – for the time is near (see Revelation 22:10). It’s near to John and his audience, not to us who are millennia away from the time of Christ’s revelation. Next …
Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.” “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing My recompense with Me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. (Revelation 22:11-15)
Note: See the urgency and certainty of Christ’s warning: “Behold, I am coming soon”. “Soon” by any means cannot be two thousand years ago and ongoing. It is also significant to understand that it was only upon His return that believers or Christians may have the right to the tree of life (eternal life) as well as to enter the city by the gates – the true Holy City, the New Jerusalem. See Revelation 21:2. And upon His return, outside the city are “the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood” (Revelation 22:15). I don’t see any earth-ending scenario here but the separation of God’s people and those who love falsehood. Don’t you think it makes sense that the Eternal Gospel of Jesus Christ should still be preached even after God’s Final Judgment and the fall of Babylon the Great – again, Old Covenant Jerusalem? See Revelation 14:6-8.
Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come, and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.” Another angel, a second, followed, saying, “Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, she who made all nations drink the wine of the passion of her sexual immorality.”
Hence, Habakkuk 2:14 said:
Woe to him [Old Covenant Jerusalem] who builds a town with blood and founds a city on iniquity! Behold, is it not from the LORD of hosts that peoples labor merely for fire, and nations weary themselves for nothing? For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
Habakkuk was referring to the eternal preaching of the Gospel spoken in Revelation 14:6. So we see despite attempts in history to silence the Bible and suppress the truth, the Word of God would always be proclaimed at any time, and any place. Next …
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you [John] about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price.I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
Note: Can you see, underlined, the invitation for eternal life remains open? And the assurance and certainty of things written by John was attested by Jesus Christ Himself. Therefore, despite the lousyness of modern-day Christianity, let it not be a reason for anyone to reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Let us discern carefully what we have heard, by checking every declaration and statement vis-a-vis with the Word of God.
On the other hand, Jesus Christ also has warned against diversions or extractions of His Word, the Book of Revelation. Anyone who does so, judgment and forfeiture of eternal life would be the consequence. Surely, that is a scary end, so I embarked on studying the Scripture in-depth to know the truth and be assured of entrance to God’s kingdom.
I know my detractors would also be claiming they speak the truth, so it should be a prudent thing to listen to both sides of the argument and reflect on Scripture to see which one is the truth. Most of you have heard their side of the argument, so perhaps you can give my exposition of the Scripture a chance. At the end of the day, it’s about faith, our salvation, and eternity.
There was no utopia after all, but a New Covenant. But if you mean utopia as in Jesus Christ is Lord of lords and King of kings, make no mistake He was/is victorious (Revelation 17:14; Revelation 5:5), and He reigns now and forevermore (Revelation 19:6). Therefore, in Christ Jesus, we have eternal blessedness, now and beyond this present existence, indeed we are having it now.
Blessings!
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The Covid-19 pandemic has been around for a year now. Until today, its origin remains to be a matter of opinion, nothing conclusive or official. Just when vaccines are set to roll out, a couple of new variants or mutations of the virus have emerged and is now spreading, even as the original strain remains uncontainable. So once again Christians, especially among futurists camp, have asked, “Aren’t we now in the time of tribulation?” (see blog entitled “The Eschatological Divide” to understand the different perspective on the study of the Last Things)
What is a virus?
Viruses are microscopic parasites, generally much smaller than bacteria. They lack the capacity to thrive and reproduce outside of a host body.
Viruses teeter on the boundaries of what is considered life. On one hand, they contain the key elements that make up all living organisms: the nucleic acids, DNA or RNA (any given virus can only have one or the other). On the other hand, viruses lack the capacity to independently read and act upon the information contained within these nucleic acids.
Science or virology, the branch of science that deals with the study of virus has no definite answer on the origin of the virus (click here to read) except that virus is part of nature. But the COVID-19 virus or any other viruses that causes illness is a mutation not innate in itself. So, though everything has its beginning with God’s creation, and virus may be part of nature, the COVID-19 virus, same with the HIV-Virus or Swine-flu (H1N1 virus) is not a creation of God but a mutation from His original creation. As Christians, we need to see the importance of such difference. For God is good, everything He created is very good, no evil or harm could originate from Him.
See this BBC Documentary entitled “Understanding Viruses”produced in 2017. A couple of years before the emergence of COVID-19 virus, that documentary video was made to explain the possible causes of pandemics, like what we are experiencing today. For a shorter version of the explanation, click here. Epidemics or pandemics caused by viruses are man-made, not from God.
Travels, explorations, deforestations and many other human activities could be a trigger for dormant viruses to enter the human body, be its host, then mutation occurs until it becomes a deadly transmissible virus. It would be prudent then not to blame or make God the cause of the COVID-19 virus, but simply see that it is due to human error – intentionally or unintentionally.
Now on the merits that the new strain is further proof that we are in the tribulation period of the last days. Again, my short and repeated answer is “NO, NO WAY ARE WE IN TRIBULATION.”
Now, if by “tribulation”, you mean a great time of trouble due to the deaths, sickness, and the accompanying economic hardships, make no mistake we are in a difficult times. What I reject is the idea that this COVID-19 and its accompanying hardship are the alleged signs spoken by the Bible connected to Matthew 24:21. “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.” The great tribulation, as it has been discussed today among Christians, is believed to be a 3-1/2 years of trouble, a prelude to a Second Coming of Jesus Christ? It’s a myth that has been repeated, therefore becoming a trend, which no Bible-loving Christian should even consider.
See the explanation of GotQuestions.Com regarding the “Great Tribulation“:
The Tribulation is a future time period when the Lord will accomplish at least two aspects of His plan: 1) He will complete His discipline of the nation Israel (Daniel 9:24), and 2) He will judge the unbelieving, godless inhabitants of the earth (Revelation 6 – 18). The length of the Tribulation is seven years. This is determined by an understanding of the seventy weeks of Daniel (Daniel 9:24-27; also see the article on the Tribulation). The Great Tribulation is the last half of the Tribulation period, three and one-half years in length. It is distinguished from the Tribulation period because the Beast, or Antichrist, will be revealed, and the wrath of God will greatly intensify during this time. Thus, it is important at this point to emphasize that the Tribulation and the Great Tribulation are not synonymous terms. Within eschatology (the study of future things), the Tribulation refers to the full seven-year period while the “Great Tribulation” refers to the second half of the Tribulation.
The above explanation is basically the teaching of modern-day Christianity, the futurist view. As you can see, they have verses of Scripture supporting their position or teachings, which was mainly from Daniel 9:24-27. But before we dig into the passage, let us determine its context or background. See Daniel 9:1-2.
In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.
In Daniel 5:30, Scripture said Darius ruled over the kingdom of Babylon after he had defeated Belshazzar the Chaldean king (Babylonian king). Daniel previously had prophesied about four Gentile kingdoms ruling over Jerusalem (Daniel 2:27-45). The four Gentile kingdoms were namely Babylon (Daniel 2:37-38; 7:4); Mede-Persia and Greece (Daniel 2:39; 7:5-6; 11:1-2); then Rome (Daniel 2:40; 7:7-8; Revelation 13:1; 17:7-12). We know the fourth kingdom was Rome, for it’s the city seated on seven hills (Revelation 17:9). Click on the link “Rome” to see the validity of its claim.
Daniel mentioned Jeremiah’s prophecy – “seventy years must passed before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem”. See Jeremiah 25:8-9,11.
Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: Because you have not obeyed My words, behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the LORD, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction, and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation … This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. Then after seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, declares the LORD, making the land an everlasting waste.
Now back to Daniel 9:1-2. The Seventy Years Babylonian Captivity was over, so Daniel confessed Israel’s sin, and he pleaded and prayed for God’s mercy and restoration and the rebuilding of the temple (Daniel 9:17).
The LORD God replied in a vision, the Seventy Weeks of Daniel 9:24-27 – “the time for God to end the transgression of Israel and the holy city, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophets, to anoint a most holy place.” Jesus actually quoted Daniel 9:26 in Matthew 24:15-21. See and compare below.
And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed. (Daniel 9:26)
So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.(Matthew 24:15-21)
Matthew 24:15-21 then is a commentary to Daniel 9:24-27, specifically 9:26.
Isn’t it ironic for Daniel? He pleaded for God’s mercy, restoration and the rebuilding of the temple (Daniel 9:17), yet though God did talk about a rebuilding (Daniel 9:25), He also spoke of a final destruction (Daniel 9:26), so until today the temple remains desolate. The exact location where the temple was once standing before its destruction is now occupied by the Dome of Rock.
See Daniel 9:25 – rebuilding of the temple.
Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince [Hebrew 5057], there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time.
See Daniel 9:26 – a second and final destruction of the temple.
And after the sixty-two weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing. And the people of the prince [Hebrew 5057] who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed.
Click on the link to know about “Julian the apostate”, emperor of Rome. He ordered the rebuilding of the Jewish temple but failed. That was long before the Dome of the Rock was built on the temple site. No, he wasn’t a believer of Christianity; hence he was called an apostate. His sole purpose for rebuilding the temple was to disprove Christianity – Jesus Christ and His promise to return in the generation of His disciples destroying the temple (Matthew 24:1-3, 15-28).
Now back to our discussion on Daniel 9:24-27. It is important to understand that the “prince” of verse 25 is also the “prince” of verse 26; both refers to the “Anointed One,” the Christ or Messiah. Such a reading of the Scripture is in accordance to the basic principle of hermeneutics, the science of interpreting Scripture. But the futurist teaches that the verse 25 “prince” refers to Jesus Christ, while verse 26 is the anti-Christ, even if both are the same Hebrew noun. You may want to ask your pastors to verify if indeed that’s how they interpret it.
Messiah comes from the Hebrew word mashiach and means “anointed one” or “chosen one.” The Greek equivalent is the word Christos or, in English, Christ. The name “Jesus Christ” is the same as “Jesus the Messiah.”
Jesus fulfills the role of Prophet, Priest, and King, which is further evidence to His being the Messiah. He is a prophet, because He embodied and preached the Word of God (see John 1:1–18; 14:24; and Luke 24:19); a priest, because His death atones for our sins and reconciles us to the Father (see Hebrews 2:17; 4:14); and a king, because after His resurrection God gave all authority to Him (see John 18:36; Ephesians 1:20–23; and Revelation 19:16).
Though it’s true that historically the Romans attacked and destroyed Jerusalem and burned down the temple in AD 70, it was to fulfill the Day of God’s vengeance; see Luke 21:20-24.
But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation has come near. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are inside the city depart, and let not those who are out in the country enter it, for these are days of vengeance, to fulfill all that is written. Alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! For there will be great distress upon the earth and wrath against this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive among all nations, and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
The “times of the Gentiles” refers to the four Gentile kingdoms ruling over Jerusalem – again namely, Babylon, Mede-Persia, Greece and Rome – prophesied by Daniel, and he clearly explained that during the reign of the fourth kingdom – Rome – the kingdom of heaven would appear and be established (Daniel 2:36-45). In the New Testament time, both John the Baptist (Matthew 3:1-2) and Jesus Christ proclaimed “the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17). Fact is, Jesus Christ declared before the Pharisees, the kingdom of heaven has arrived. See Luke 17:20-21.
Being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He [Jesus] answered them, “The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, ‘Look, here it is!’ or ‘There!‘ for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you.”
Many have speculated about a revived Roman Empire in an effort to align their beliefs and teachings with that of Daniel 2, so that their futurist view on the Second Coming of Jesus Christ could possibly stand. But it could not be sustained simply because it’s not from the Word of God, rather an invention of man. Nowhere in the Bible did it spoke of a revived Roman Empire.
Take note that Luke 21:20-24 is similar to Matthew 24:15-21; both spoke of the desolation of Jerusalem. Also, just as Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, was servant of God for His judgment against Jerusalem. Rome serves the same purpose in the second and final destruction of Old Covenant Jerusalem (Romans 13:1-4).
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer.
Who was the governing authority at the time of Paul? No other but Rome.
Now, see again Daniel 9:25.
Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time.
The “seven weeks” spoken along with the Anointed One – no other but Jesus Christ – refers to the Day of Pentecost. See Leviticus 23:15-16, the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost.
You shall count seven full weeks from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the LORD.
Pentecost is significant in both the Old and New Testaments. “Pentecost” is actually the Greek name for a festival known in the Old Testament as the Feast of Weeks (Leviticus 23:15; Deuteronomy 16:9). The Greek word means “fifty” and refers to the fifty days that have elapsed since the wave offering of Passover (week). The Feast of Weeks celebrated the end of the grain harvest. Most interesting, however, is its use in Joel and Acts. Looking back to Joel’s prophecy (Joel 2:28–32) and forward to the promise of the Holy Spirit in Christ’s last words on earth before His ascension into heaven (Acts 1:8), Pentecost signals the beginning of the church age.
Note: To amend gotquestions.org’s explanation on the Pentecost, I added open close parentheses “week” to make clear Pentecost has to be 50 days after the third festival of the passover week, which is the feast of firstfruits (click link to see Scriptural support) – the day Jesus Christ resurrected. Click on ligonier.org to see explanation.
Interestingly, Daniel 9:26 said: “And after the sixty-weeks, an anointed one shall be cut off[Hebrew 3772] and shall have nothing.“
The Complete Word Study Bible Dictionary said “cut off [Hebrew 3772]”is a verb meaning to cut off, to cut down, to make a covenant. This word can mean literally to cut something down or off, as grapes (Numbers 13:23, 24) or branches (Judges 9:48, 49).It can also be used figuratively, as with people (Jeremiah 11:19; 50:16). Another important use of this word is to make a covenant (lit., to cut a covenant), perhaps deriving from the practice of cutting an animal in two in the covenant ceremony. God made a covenant with Abraham (Genesis 15:18); Abraham made one with Abimelech (Genesis 21:27). Finally, this word can also mean to destroy, as in Micah’s prophecy (Micah 5:10).
Amazingly, the apostle Paul spoke of the same idea – that is, being cut off from the New Covenant. See Romans 9:1-8.
I am speaking the truth in Christ— I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit— that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.
See also Romans 11:13-24.
Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. But if some of the branches [Jews] were broken off, and you [Gentiles], although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will He spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in His kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.
How then should we understand Daniel 9:26? It’s about Christ Jesus’ offering of the New Covenant (see Heb 9:8-15) – salvation by faith, not by circumcision – but since the Jews rejected and crucified Him, they ceased to be God’s covenant people, except of course those who have believed in Him.
In the next verse, Daniel 9:27, it was Jesus Christ then who made a strong covenant with many for one week. Again, not the anti-Christ as alleged and taught by the futurist. The one week is what remains for the completion of the Seventy Weeks of Daniel 24, which actually was about Jesus Christ and His salvation and judgment. See again Daniel 9:27a.
And He [Jesus Christ] shall make a strong covenant [eternal covenant; Hebrews 13:20] with many for one week, and for half of the week He shall put an end to sacrifice and offering.
The half of the week obviously refers to Jesus’ first coming; His sacrifice, death and resurrection made the Old Covenant law on sacrifice and offering obsolete. See Hebrews 8:13.
In speaking of a new covenant, He makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.
Next, Hebrews 9:15-26.
Therefore He [Jesus Christ] is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance, since a death has occurred that redeems them from the transgressions committed under the first covenant. For where a will is involved, the death of the one who made it must be established. For a will takes effect only at death, since it is not in force as long as the one who made it is alive. Therefore not even the first covenant was inaugurated without blood. For when every commandment of the law had been declared by Moses to all the people, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water and scarlet wool and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant that God commanded for you.” And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Thus it was necessary for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these rites, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has entered, not into holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true things, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God on our behalf. Nor was it to offer Himself repeatedly, as the high priest enters the holy places every year with blood not his own, for then He would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, He has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.
Did you notice what Hebrews said? The coming of Jesus Christ was the end of ages. It was therefore truly the last days, not an unending last days if we follow the futurist idea of the Second Coming. You may want to read my blog entitled “The Unending Last Days”.
Now, continuing on Daniel 9:27b, see explanation in Luke 21:20-24.
And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.
It was God who made Old Covenant Jerusalem desolate, but of course historically it was the Romans, the people of the Prince – the Anointed One, Jesus Christ. Just as Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon was God’s servant for His vengeance against Jerusalem during its first destruction.
In conclusion, since the “seven weeks” of Daniel 9:25 refers to the Pentecost, the last of the four Jewish spring festivals, fulfilled by Christ Jesus at His First Coming. Daniel 9:26-27 then fulfilled the last three Jewish Fall Festivals – namely, the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25), the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:26-32), and lastly, the Feast of Booths or Tabernacle (Leviticus 23:33-43). It should be noticeable that with the fulfillment of the three Jewish Fall Festivals, it also fulfilled Daniel 9:24:
The Jews and the holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin – that’s God’s Final Judgment (Matthew 24:29-31), the Feast of Trumpets.
To atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness – that’s the Wedding Banquet (Matthew 22:1-14), the day of Atonement.
To seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place – that’s the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2-6), the Feast of Booths.
It therefore makes no sense believing that the present COVID-19 pandemic is a proof that we are in the time of tribulation. Let me narrow down my arguments to two points:
First, according to Jesus’ own words, the great tribulation refers to the destruction of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. Is there presently a temple standing to be destroyed that we should be misled into believing we are at the time of tribulation?
Lastly, when John wrote to the seven churches of Asia, the apostle clearly said he was in tribulation, which was millennia ago. According to the futurist teaching, the tribulation is a period of seven years, not two thousands years and continuing.
To end, allow me to quote Jesus’ words.
Let them alone; they are blind guides. And if the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.
Matthew 5:14
Do not blindly follow and listen. Study the Bible. Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Chief Shepherd of God’s flock, in Matthew 24:15 said, “Let the reader understand“. Don’t you yet understand? If you wish to understand better, reach out to us here. We would be more than willing to help.
Blessing!
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It is traditionally believed that Jesus Christ’s Second Coming is yet to happen. Many claim the fulfillment of the Savior’s return is imminent – about to happen. Not surprising, for Jesus Christ did say, “I am coming soon,” four times actually in the Book of Revelation.
See Revelation 3:11; “I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.”
Also Revelation 22:7; “And behold, I am coming soon. Blessed is the one who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book.”
Again Revelation 22:12;“Behold, I am coming soon, bringing My recompense with Me, to repay each one for what he has done.“
Finally, Revelation 22:20;“He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon.’ Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!”
Actually that’s not all, the Book of Revelation overwhelmingly declared the soon coming or return of Jesus Christ. Let me make clear, though, “it’s soon to the audience of John, not to us,” the introductory and closing remarks of John in Revelation declared it clearly that “the time is near.”
See Revelation 1:1-3
The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to his servants [John] the things that must soon take place. He made it known by sending His angel to his servant John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.
Next, Revelation 22:10-20
And he said to me, “Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time is near. Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.” “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing My recompense with Me, to repay each one for what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!
In Revelation 22:18-19, what was/is the point of Jesus’ warning “not to add nor take away from the words of the book of this prophecy”? The Book of Revelation clearly speaks about the imminency of Christ’s return, which was the hope of the early church. So the warning has to do with false prophecy concerning His soon return. Do we see evidence of such danger on prevailing letters with that of Revelation? See 2 Timothy 2:15-19.
Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. But avoid irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, who have swerved from the truth, saying that the resurrection has already happened. They are upsetting the faith of some. But God’s firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.”
The biblical concept for resurrection and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ are synonymous events. 2 Timothy most clearly was the last of Paul’s letters. He spoke about his soon departure and the soon Return of Jesus Christ to judge the living and the dead (2 Timothy 4:6-8). By departure, Paul was talking about his martyrdom for the faith.
For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing.
Clearly Paul was anticipating the imminency of his death, and he was looking forward to the yet coming Judgment Day of Jesus. In 2 Timothy 2:17-18, Paul made clear that the claim of Hymenaeus and Philetus were false; the resurrection had not yet occur because the Judgment Day had yet to come. The resurrection spoken by both Hymenaeus and Philetus denied the resurrection foretold in Daniel 12:1-4.
At that time shall arise Michael, the great prince who has charge of your people [Jews]. And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time. But at that time your people [Jews] shall be delivered, everyone whose name shall be found written in the book. And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But you, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book, until the time of the end. Many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.
But how could the resurrection of the last day have occurred if the Jewish Temple was still standing at the time Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy? Paul obviously was still looking forward to that Day; see 2 Timothy 4:8.
Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing.
Daniel 12:2 actually provided a clue when it would occur saying, “And there shall be a time of trouble, such as never has been since there was a nation till that time,” which was quoted by Jesus in Matthew 24 when He spoke about the destruction of the temple. See Matthew 24:15-28.
So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be [Matthew 24:21 cf. Daniel 12:2]. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
Bear in mind the context for Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:15-28 was from Matthew 24:1-3.
Jesus left the temple and was going away, when His disciples came to point out to Him the buildings of the temple.But He answered them, “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.”As He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
I have said this in my other blogpost, but let me reiterate it again. The disciples of Jesus clearly understood with the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple then it’s the Coming of the Christ. They understood it because Isaiah prophesied about the final destruction of the Jewish Temple. Read Isaiah 24-27; it’s simply too long to include here. Perhaps I can write about the passage sometime soon. I hope it’s soon.
Anyway, centuries after the destruction of the Jewish Temple, Julian the apostate, a Roman Emperor years after Constantine, tried but failed to rebuild the Jewish Temple. You have to understand Rome was still the empire in power during those time, yet despite Julian’s approval and support, the Jews fail to rebuild it – simply because in Isaiah 25:2, Scripture said, “For you have made the city [Jerusalem] a heap, the fortified city a ruin; the foreigners’ palace is a city no more; it will never be rebuilt.”
Oh yes, Jerusalem is back in the map of Israel since 1948, but until today, despite attempts, the Temple has not been rebuilt. In fact, the Dome of Rock, an Islamic Mosque, stands on the ground of the old Jerusalem Temple. War surely would erupt, and the Jews must win the fight, before the mosque may be destroyed then the rebuilding of the temple perhaps may commence. If God’s word said, “it wouldn’t be rebuilt,” then what would proponents for a rebuilt Jewish temple be? Pro or against God’s Word?
The idea of the Tabernacle was first mentioned in Scripture after the confirmation of God’s covenant made with Israel at Exodus (Exodus 19-24); see Exodus 25:1-9.
The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the people of Israel, that they take for me a contribution. From every man whose heart moves him you shall receive the contribution for Me. And this is the contribution that you shall receive from them: gold, silver, and bronze, blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, goats’ hair, tanned rams’ skins, goatskins, acacia wood, oil for the lamps, spices for the anointing oil and for the fragrant incense, onyx stones, and stones for setting, for the ephod and for the breastpiece. And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst. Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it.
At the time of David and Solomon, the tent of tabernacle was made into a temple, which God approved upon the wishes of David, who desired a better dwelling place for the Ark of the Covenant (2 Samuel 7:1-2). The temple therefore was the sign of God’s presence with Israel. Without the temple, then God’s presence was no longer with Israel. So even if Jews are back in Palestine, without the temple Jerusalem ceases to be the city of God. Israel of today is no longer the Israel of the Bible. Isaiah 25:2 had been fulfilled saying “For you have made the city a heap, the fortified city a ruin, the foreigner’s palace is a city no more; it will never be rebuilt.”
A pastor friend believing in the concept of a rebuilt Jewish Temple followed by the Second Coming of Jesus once said, “Don’t be too sure that it would not be rebuilt, it may happen before you know it.” My answer to him is simply to read Deuteronomy 18:18-22, for Scripture say it would never be rebuilt, but religious people say it will.
I will raise up for them a Prophet [Jesus] like you from among their brothers. And I will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And whoever will not listen to My words that He shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him. But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.’ And if you say in your heart, ‘How may we know the word that the LORD has not spoken?’— when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him.
It has been almost two thousand years since the final destruction of the Jewish Temple. Claims upon claims have been made, but the temple remains in ruin, just as Jesus told His disciples (Matthew 24:2). Everyone is free whatever he/she chooses to believe, but I will always choose to believe Jesus Christ, His Word, the Scripture.
So back to our discussion about Daniel 12 and Matthew 24, Jesus clearly warned about talks on the fulfillment of His Return before and after the destruction of the temple. That was exactly the error of Hymenaeus and Philetus; they spoke of the occurrence of the resurrection while the temple was still standing. It is silly then that some claiming to know Scripture used 2 Timothy 2:17-19 to refute the idea that Jesus had already return. To think that two verses before, Paul wrote, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the truth (2 Timothy 2:15).”Without a doubt, the destruction of the Jewish Temple, as understood by Jesus’ disciples, was the Return of Christ Jesus and the time of the resurrection (Matthew 24:1-3). It’s the completion of Jesus’ New Covenant and the passing of the Old Covenant (Hebrews 12:22-29).
The Return of Christ also signaled the completion of God’s Kingdom here on earth. See Matthew 6:9-10; Jesus, teaching His disciples about prayer, said:
Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
See also Matthew 5:1-5
Seeing the crowds, He [Jesus] went up on the mountain, and when He sat down, His disciples came to Him. And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
In the Beatitude of Jesus, the blessedness of the meek is that they shall inherit the earth. How then could Jesus destroy the earth with fire as taught by tradition if it is part of the inheritance of the blessed people of God? Don’t you find that ridiculous?
The prayer that Jesus taught His disciples was for God’s kingdom to come on earth. Why then would Jesus destroy earth?
Despite the numerous mentions of imminency of Jesus’ return, the traditional Christian teaching continues to deny and declare that Jesus Christ is yet to come. We have to remember that the revelation of Christ, revealed none other but by God the Father to Jesus (See Revelation 1:1; “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show His servants the things that must soon take place”), which was written down by John (the apostle) through the revelation of the Returning King, was announced almost two millennia ago, to real people and audience – the first century church. It made no sense to them (the first-century church) to believe the message of imminency if it would occur beyond their lifetime, and it makes no sense to us that Christ Jesus promised to return soon yet it has been two thousand years now. Obviously if we are sincerely seeking the Word of Truth, we need to recalibrate the traditional presupposition concerning the doctrine of Christ’s Second Coming.
The Gospel of Matthew spoke on the theme of the “Kingdom of Heaven” repeatedly – 32 verses altogether. The Book of Daniel revealed to us that Four Gentile kingdoms would rule over Israel before the appearance of God’s Kingdom. See Daniel 2:36-45.
This was the dream. Now we will tell the king its interpretation. You, O king [Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon], the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, and the might, and the glory, and into whose hand He has given, wherever they dwell, the children of man, the beasts of the field, and the birds of the heavens, making you rule over them all—you are the head of gold. Another kingdom [Mede and Persia] inferior to you shall arise after you, and yet a third kingdom[Greece] of bronze, which shall rule over all the earth. And there shall be a fourth kingdom [Rome], strong as iron, because iron breaks to pieces and shatters all things. And like iron that crushes, it shall break and crush all these. And as you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, it shall be a divided kingdom, but some of the firmness of iron shall be in it, just as you saw iron mixed with the soft clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly iron and partly clay, so the kingdom [Fourth kingdom] shall be partly strong and partly brittle. As you saw the iron mixed with soft clay, so they will mix with one another in marriage, but they will not hold together, just as iron does not mix with clay. And in the days of those kings [iron & clay] the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever, just as you saw that a stone was cut from a mountain by no human hand, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold. A great God has made known to the king what shall be after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation sure.”
According to the prophecy, the kingdom of heaven would appear during the time of the Fourth Gentile kingdom – Rome. Remarkably, Jesus Christ came announcing the imminent coming of God’s kingdom. See Matthew 4:17.
From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
The apostle Paul in turn clearly explained that the Kingdom of Heaven would fully be realized at the Return of Jesus Christ. See 1 Corinthians 15:22-26.
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at His coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
Incidentally, Paul was not talking about a physical resurrection. Look at 1 Corinthians 15:22 again: “For as in Adam all die.” Back in the Garden of Eden, God warned Adam and Eve that the moment they ate the forbidden fruit, they would surely die. Did they die? They lived on and had numerous children later. Certainly God’s Word cannot be thwarted, neither does it change. Then, a death must have occurred. Yes, of course, but it was a spiritual death – the breaking of God’s Covenant. Consequently, the resurrection must also be spiritual – Jesus’ offer of a New Covenant. Again, continuing with 1 Corinthians 15:22, “So also in Christ shall all be made alive.” Just as it was a spiritual resurrection, so God’s kingdom on earth is spiritual as well. See John 4:21-24.
Jesus said to her [Samaritan woman], “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father. You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
Without a doubt, Scripture has a unified declaration concerning Jesus’ Second Coming. Several times, John, in Revelation, said, “The time is near.” Jesus, on the other hand, repeatedly said, “I am coming soon.” Everyone who insists and says otherwise, here is the question for you: “What is the meaning of ‘soon’ for you?”
Scripture versus tradition – why believe tradition over the Word of God? To have more insights on the topic of tradition, you may want to read my previous blogpost entitled “The Dilemma of Tradition”.
May God grant everyone the discernment to differentiate truth from error.
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As noted in my earlier post, the Sabbath serves as the central theme in John 5. The Gospel mentions the Sabbath ten times, with four occurrences in this chapter alone. This focus makes sense because the events in John 5 take place during the Jewish Fall Harvest Festival—the Feast of Booths—since the core of that celebration is Sabbath rest.
This theme of rest is particularly meaningful when contrasted with the unrest of exile. As a young man, the prophet Daniel was taken into exile (Daniel 1:3–6). This Exile, also known as the Seventy Years of Babylonian Captivity, fulfilled God’s declared judgment on Judah, the southern kingdom and final remnant of David and Solomon’s monarchy. For context, see Jeremiah 25:3–14.
For twenty-three years, from the thirteenth year of Josiah the son of Amon, king of Judah, to this day, the word of the LORD has come to me, and I have spoken persistently to you, but you have not listened. You have neither listened nor inclined your ears to hear, although the LORD persistently sent to you all His servants the prophets, saying, “Turn now, every one of you, from his evil ways and evil deeds, and dwell upon the land that the LORD has given to you and your fathers from of old and forever. Do not go after other gods to serve and worship them, or provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands. Then I will do you no harm.” Yet you have not listened to Me, declares the LORD, that you might provoke Me to anger with the work of your hands to your own harm.
Therefore thus says the LORD of hosts: Because you have not obeyed My words, behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north, declares the LORD, and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, My servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants, and against all these surrounding nations, I will devote them to destruction, and make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting desolation. Moreover, I will banish from them the voice of the mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the grinding of the milestones and the light of the lamp. The whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. Then after the seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, declares the LORD, making the land an everlasting waste. I will bring upon the land all the words that I have uttered against it, everything written in this book, which Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations. For many nations and great kings shall make slaves even of them, and I will recompense them according to their deeds and the work of their hands.
By Daniel’s later years, he may have reached his eighties, since seventy years had passed after his exile to Babylon. See Daniel 9:1–2.
In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of Chaldeans – in the first year of his reign, I Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.
After the seventy-year Babylonian captivity ended—the judgment God announced through Jeremiah—Daniel asked the LORD for mercy and restoration. The answer to Daniel’s prayer and request appears in Daniel 9:24–27. We can examine Daniel 9:24, which captures the full scope of God’s declaration:
Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place.
Perhaps to Daniel’s surprise, God is not finished with Israel; he was informed of the final judgment, described as “to finish transgression, to put an end to sin.” The atonement was “to atone for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness,” and finally, God’s dwelling presence—the tabernacle (booths)—was “to anoint a most holy place.” By the way, the themes in Daniel 9:24 align with elements in John 5.
John 5:30, spoke of Judgment, which is the culmination of the Feast of Trumpets.
I can do nothing of My own. As I hear, I judge, and My judgment is just, because I seek not My own will but the will of Him [God the Father] who sent Me.
Next, John 5:21, spoke of Resurrection, the fulfillment of the Feast of Atonement.
For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He will.
Finally, John 5:24, spoke of Eternal Life, the consummation of the Feast of Booths.
Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.
Daniel’s life spanned the era of the first Gentile kingdom, Babylon, and into the second, the Medo-Persian Empire. He understood this transition when he was called to interpret the dream of King Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2). In this dream, God revealed that four Gentile kingdoms would rule over Israel before the coming of the Son of Man—the Anointed One, the Deliverer of Israel (Daniel 2:44-45). This prophetic confirmation is further elaborated in Daniel 7.
The fulfillment of God’s Messianic Kingdom, as foretold, would take place during the reign of the fourth Gentile kingdom (Daniel 2:40–45). Scripture names the first three kingdoms: Babylon (Daniel 2:37–38), Medo-Persia, and Greece (Daniel 8:20–21). The fourth kingdom remains unnamed, but Daniel 7:7 provides a vital clue about its identity.
After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke into pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.
About 600 years later, the identity of the fourth kingdom was finally revealed by the apostle John. See Revelation 13:1 and 17:7-11.
And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. (Revelation 13:1)
But the angel said to me [John], “Why do you marvel? I will tell you the mystery of the woman, and of the beast with seven heads and ten horns that carries her. The beast that you saw was, and is not, and is about to rise from the bottomless pit and go to destruction. And the dwellers on earth whose names have not been written in the books of life from the foundation of the world will marvel to see the beast, because it was and is not and it to come. This calls for a mind of wisdom: the seven heads are the seven mountains on which the woman is seated; they are also the seven kings, five of whom have fallen, one is, the other has not yet come, and when he does come he must remain only a little while. As for the beast that was and is not, it is an eight but it belongs to the seven, and it goes to destruction.” (Revelation 17:7-11)
It should be noted that in the Greek, the seven mountains could also be translated as “seven hills,” and there is only one city at the time of the apostle, perhaps even now, that was known to sit on seven hills— that is, Rome. The seven kings, five of whom have fallen, refers to the Roman emperors, beginning with (1) Julius Caesar, (2) Augustus Caesar, (3) Tiberius Caesar, (4) Caligula Caesar, (5) Claudius Caesar; “one is,” refers to Nero Caesar— the emperor reigning at the time of Peter, John, and Paul.
I, John, your brother and partner in the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance that are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos on account of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus. I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying, “Write what you see in a book and send it to the seven churches, to Ephesus and to Smyrna and to Pergamum and to Thyatira and to Sardis and to Philadelphia and to Laodicea.”
According to the King James Concordance, “trumpet” is mentioned eleven times in the New Testament, with six of those instances appearing in the Book of Revelation, including Revelation 1:10. This frequent use of the trumpet imagery calls to mind the Fall Harvest Festivals of Leviticus 23, which begin with the Feast of Trumpets, followed by the Feast of Atonement, and finally the Feast of Booths.
Incidentally, the “Lord’s Day” of Revelation 1:10, which the Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries said was “from G2962; belonging to the Lord,” could not be referring to a Sunday, as traditionally suggested, but the Sabbath. See Genesis 2:2–3.
And on the seventh day God finished His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done. So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all His work that He had done in creation.
Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew Definition defined “holy” as to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate. Therefore, the seventh day, which is the Sabbath, was sanctified, consecrated, and set apart for the LORD God; hence, the Lord’s Day or a “day belonging to the Lord.”
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath of the LORD your God … For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.
The Lord’s Day cannot be a Sunday, which traditionally was derived from the phrase “first day of the week” found in every gospel narrative concerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
So because of the Jewish Day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there. Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.
Since it was the day of Preparation, and so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jew asked Pilate that their legs might be broken and that they might be taken away.
Every Passover and Unleavened Bread Festival, there would be two Sabbaths in the week: a regular Sabbath [the seventh day of the week; Saturday to us] and the High or Special Sabbath, which could be any day of the week as long as it is the fifteenth of Nisan. Leviticus 23:7 states, “On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any ordinary work [Sabbath rest].” The first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread was the beginning of the Passover-week festival, the fifteenth of Nisan.
The Passover event in Exodus occurred “between the two evenings” (Exodus 12:6–8, translated “twilight”), beginning on the fourteenth of Nisan, which was the Preparation for the Passover. The Jewish day begins at sunset and ends before sunset (6pm to before 6pm); unlike ours, which is 12 midnight to before 12 midnight. Hence, Exodus 12:29 states:
At midnight [Hebrew “middle of two night” H2677 & H3915] the LORD struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt …
Jesus, then, was crucified on the day of Preparation (John 19:14). He was buried before sundown, the beginning of the High Sabbath, 15th of Nisan (John 19:30, 42). Now, in John 20:1, “first day of the week” in the Greek actually means on “one Sabbath or first Sabbath“— meaning, first Sabbath after the High Sabbath. Yes, “Sabbath” (G4521, from Hebrew H7676) but was somehow translated “week” by the English translation of the Bible.
So because the Jewish Day of Preparation, since the tomb was close at hand, they laid Jesus there. Now on the [One]first [Sabbath]day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.
Interlinear Bible for John 20:1,
<1161> The first <3391> day of the week <4521> cometh <2064> (5736) Mary <3137> Magdalene <3094> early <4404>, when it was <5607> (5752) yet <2089> dark <4653>, unto <1519> the sepulchre <3419>, and <2532> seeth <991> (5719) the stone <3037> taken away <142> (5772) from <1537> the sepulchre <3419>.
A check on an interlinear Bible said “The first” G3391, irregular feminine of G1520, which Thayer’s Greek Definitiondefined to mean “one.” Next, “day of the week” G4521, defined by Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries as “Of Hebrew origin” [H7676]— the Sabbath.
And when evening had come, since it was the day of Preparation [14th of Nisan], that is, the day before the Sabbath [15th of Nisan] … Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Jesus saw where He was laid. When the Sabbath [High] was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome brought spices, so that they might go and anoint Him. And very early on thefirst[One, G1520]day of the week[Sabbath, G4521], when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb.
Then they returned and prepared the spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath [High] they rested according to the commandment. But on the first [One, G1520] day ofthe week[Sabbath, G4521], at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared.”
Lastly, Matthew 28:1
Now after the Sabbath [High], toward the dawn of the first [One, G1520] dayof the week[Sabbath, G4521], Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb.
Now Paul, in 1 Corinthians 5:7 declared Jesus Christ as the Passover Lamb that has been sacrificed. Then, in 1 Corinthians 15:23, Christ was the firstfruits, speaking of His resurrection. Therefore, another proof that Jesus could not have resurrected on a Sunday, as traditionally taught and believed, but rather on a Sabbath, fulfilling the Feast of Firstfruits of Leviticus 23, which occurred on a Sabbath (G4521), following the High Sabbath (John 19:31).
See Leviticus 23:10-11,15-16 from the NASB translation, a literal word-for-word translation.
“Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD for you to be accepted; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.”
“You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath,from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete Sabbaths. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath …“
To count seven complete sabbaths, then the beginning of the count must also be on a Sabbath; thereby, the day after the High Sabbath refers to the regular weekly Sabbath. Clearly then, Jesus resurrected back to life on a Sabbath, not Sunday; fulfilling therefore the Feast of Firstfruits.
To review: Paul, in 1 Corinthians 5:7 declared Jesus Christ is the Passover Lamb that has been sacrificed. Then, in 1 Corinthians 15:23, Christ was the firstfruits, speaking of His resurrection. Therefore, once more, another proof that Jesus could not have resurrected on a Sunday, as traditionally taught and believed, but rather on a Sabbath, fulfilling the Feast of Firstfruits of Leviticus 23:10–11, which always occurs on a Sabbath following the High Sabbath.
Although Rome leveled Jerusalem in AD 70 during summer instead of winter, it is striking that Jesus observed, “Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.” (Matthew 24:20)
From our earlier study, it follows that the timing must align with a Sabbath, since Revelation describes John hearing a loud voice like a trumpet “on the Lord’s Day.” The events throughout the Book of Revelation point to the Last Day and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, completing the Fall Harvest Festivals in Leviticus 23.
Then I saw another angel flying directly overhead, with an eternal gospel to proclaim to those who dwell on earth, to every nation and tribe and language and people. And he said with a loud voice, “Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come, and worship Him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water … And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. ‘Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!’”
By the way, “a loud voice” in Revelation 1:10 was said to be “like a trumpet,” so similarly “a loud voice” in Revelation 14:7 must also be “like a trumpet,” which declared the arrival of the time of God’s judgment. Following the sound of the trumpet, a voice from heaven then declared, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Blessed indeed, that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!”
So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His.
Perhaps that was why Jesus would heal even on a Sabbath, indicating therefore that He was working— first to make Himself known and believed by people (John 6:29) and second, to fulfill the true Sabbath Rest (Revelation 14:13; Hebrews 4:9–10), which would be a reality only after God rested from His work (Hebrews 4:9–10). So the apostle’s narrative on John 5:16–17 makes real sense now.
And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because He was doing these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”
It should be worth mentioning then that on top of the Seven Jewish Feasts of Leviticus 23 was the command to observe the Sabbath (Leviticus 23:3), since that was the essence of all the festivities of Israel, the fulfillment or the renewal of Genesis 2:2–3.
See Leviticus 23:3.
Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwelling places.
Next, Genesis 2:2-3.
And on the seventh day God finished His work that He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had done. God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all His work that He had done in creation.
A small detail indeed reveals a lot. We must seek to know the true teachings of the Scripture. Traditions have blinded us from understanding the true essence of the Sabbath, which speaks of the salvation plan of God. Not until God had rested from His work would His creation ever experience and understand the true Sabbath Rest of God. See Revelation 21:3–4.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the dwelling place [tabernacle] of God is with man, and He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.
The doctrine of the Second Coming of Jesus and his fulfillment of the Final Harvest Feast, the Fall Festivals, need not be divided into specific events, since Paul noted this.
Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raise imperishable, and we will be changed … But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.” (1 Corinthians 15:51-52,56)
Truly, a little deflection from the truth can indeed lead to a devastating false assumption. The Roman Empire, the fourth Gentile kingdom reigning over Israel, ceased to exist for more than a millennium now. So what does that tell us? Be reminded that God showed Daniel that the Messianic reign of Jesus Christ would occur within the time of the fourth Gentile kingdom, Rome. The Bible never spoke of a revived Roman Empire. Don’t you think we ought to take seriously our study of the Bible?
P.S. I have always wanted to understand the doctrine of the last things, eschatology. It was quite important and personal to me, for I wanted to be assured of what happened after death. That was the question that bothered me while I was at the wake of my only son. It’s been twenty years now. Glory be to God that finally I now comprehend Scripture, and the Lord Jesus Christ has graciously provided me understanding concerning the said doctrine.
The Lord Jesus Christ impressed His words in Isaiah 30:20–21 upon me while I wrestled with whether to begin seminary training so late in life. Scripture says, “And though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher. And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” (Isaiah 30:20–21)
Looking back, I recognize that the Lord, my Teacher, Jesus Christ, graciously led me and my family to know Him and grasp His Word. This journey started at my son’s wake, who posthumously showed me God’s goodness through a penholder he had given me months before joining the Lord. Here is a link to the blog “Regarding Wilmer,” which recounts my path to Christianity.
Peter, in the words of Acts 3:6, declared, “I possess neither silver nor gold, but in the name of Jesus Christ, I offer you what I have.” Share this article freely, for you freely receive. Take note, underlines and highlights are clickable links for definitions or Bible references. Stay updated by heading to our about page and subscribe directly to receive notifications in your inbox. Blessings!
Even after posting three blogs on John 9, there is still room for a few insights, particularly on the two interesting remarks of Jesus Christ. First, in John 9:4, “We must work the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.” What does Jesus mean by saying “as long as it is day, night is coming”? And the second, John 9:39, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” Lord willing, both will be explained as we go along in our study of the Gospel of John.
Continuing my study of the Gospel of John, I came across John 5:1. “After this there was a feast of the Jews, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.” The Bible does not mention which particular Jewish Feast John was referring to, so this will be my focus in this blog and following blog postings.
As I noted in my earlier post on Spiritual Blindness, the LORD God established seven Jewish annual feasts in Leviticus 23. These seven feasts can also be grouped into three harvest festivals. Three times each year, Jews traveled from many places to Jerusalem for these gatherings—the Passover Feast, the Feast of Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles. The three harvest festivals followed the agricultural cycles in Palestine: barley, then wheat, and finally fruits or grapes. God’s sovereignty is evident here, don’t you think?
The first harvest festival begins with the Feast of Passover (Leviticus 23:4-8), culminating with the thanksgiving harvest of barley— the Feast of Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:9–11). The second harvest festival was the Feast of Wheat or Pentecost, celebrating the thanksgiving harvest of wheat (Leviticus 23:15–16). Lastly, the third harvest festival begins with the Feast of Trumpets, then the Feast of Atonement, and finally the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths or Ingathering— it’s the harvest of fruits or grapes (Leviticus 23:33–36).
Here is the overview of the Jewish Annual Festivals or Feasts. The first four Spring Festivals—from Passover to Pentecost—span the initial three months of the Jewish calendar year. After a four-month summer interval, the final three Fall Festivals follow: the Feast of Trumpets, the Feast of Atonement, and the concluding Feast of Ingathering (Tabernacle or Booths).
Now, on our study of John 5:1, specifically John’s mention of the “feast of the Jews,” Albert Barnes said: Probably, the Passover, though it is not certain. There were two other feasts – the Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles.
On the other hand, Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary said: The feast of the Jews is probably not the Passover, which John usually refers to by name (John 2:13; John 6:4; John 11:55). It may have been Purim, which is not a divine institution but a Jewish-instigated feast to celebrate the deliverance of the Jews and Queen Esther. It is literally a feast of the Jews.
Lastly, Robertson’s Word Pictures said: As a matter of fact there is no way of telling what feast it was which Jesus here attended. Even if it was not the passover, there may well be another passover not mentioned besides the three named by John. (John 2:13, John 2:23; John 6:4; John 12:1)
I reviewed only three Bible commentaries, and their views on John 5:1 do not align, which suggests such sources are not entirely reliable. Grasping the Leviticus 23 Jewish Feasts could help separate fact from fiction. For instance, it might confirm whether Jesus Christ completed three or three and a half years of earthly ministry with His disciples.
The NNIBC (Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary) correctly identifies three Gospel passages—John 2:13, John 6:4, and John 11:55—that link Jesus Christ to three annual Jewish festivals, including “the Passover.”
Let us review every verse in John’s Gospel that mentions “Passover.” John 2:13 and John 2:23 point to the first annual Jewish festival involving Jesus Christ. John 11:55; 12:1; 13:1; 18:28; 18:39; and 19:14 address the third and final festival, since the narrative follows Jesus’ final week with His disciples leading to His crucifixion. John 6:4 therefore relates to the second festival during Jesus’ earthly ministry. This internal evidence suggests his ministry spans three successive years of the annual Passover.
Across all four Gospels, Jesus’ earthly ministry began after His baptism by John the Baptist (John 1:29–39; Matthew 3:13–17, 4:12–18; Mark 1:9–15; Luke 3:21–23), with John 2:13 noting the first Passover festival involving him. Yet before this Passover appearance in John 2:13—which followed His baptism in John 1:29–33—the apostle John described Jesus serving at a wedding in Cana. It follows that Jesus carried out at least three or three and a half years of ministry, starting at age 30, as Luke 3:23 indicates.
Returning to the “feast of the Jews” described by the apostle in John 5:1, we already recognize that John records three Passover Festivals involving Jesus. We should also see that a complete cycle of the annual Jewish feasts starts with Passover and concludes with the Feast of Booths (Tabernacle or Ingathering). Notably, John explicitly names only one Feast of Booths in his Gospel, at John 7:2. Following the narrative flow, John 6:4, “Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews was at hand,” connects naturally to John 7:2, “Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand,” presenting a full cycle of the second annual festival involving Jesus.
As noted earlier, John 11:55—“Now the Passover of the Jews was at hand …”—addresses the third and final Passover tied to Jesus. Because the following account describes Jesus’ arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection, we face one clear choice. I disagree with Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary that John might mean “Purim,” a non-divinely established festival from Esther’s time (Esther 9:23–32), since the content of John 5, especially Jesus Christ’s teaching there, aligns with the core of the Feast of Booths. I will explore that in my next blog post. For now, we can consider the nature of the Passover Feast in relation to Jesus Christ’s ministry.
John concluded his Gospel with the Passover narrative involving Jesus Christ. From a human viewpoint, this marked the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. From God’s perspective, He became the true offering acceptable to God—the fulfillment of the Leviticus 23 “Passover Feast.” It is worth noting that Jesus Christ came to satisfy all requirements of the first, or Old, Covenant (Exodus 12:2-6). As Matthew 5:17–18 records, Jesus declared:
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, nor a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
For in doing so, He would be qualified to inaugurate the second or New Covenant of God. See Hebrews 10:5-10:
Consequently, when Christ came into the world, He said, “Sacrifices and offerings You have not desired, but a body have You prepared for Me; in burnt offerings and sin offerings You have taken no pleasure. Then I said, ‘Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God. as it is written of Me in the scroll of the book.’” When He said above, “You have neither desired not taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the Law), then He added, “Behold I have come to do Your will.” He does away with the first in order to established the second. And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really were unleavened. For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed.
Looking then at both Hebrews 10:5–10 and 1 Corinthians 5:7, without a doubt, Jesus Christ indeed fulfilled both the Feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread at the Cross.
The apostle Paul described believers as “unleavened,” not through their own actions but through the redemptive work of Jesus Christ at the Cross. In Colossians 2:13–14, Paul also noted:
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by cancelling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the Cross.
The Feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread having been fulfilled, the cancelling of the record of debt that stood against the believers was then consummated at the cross. So Jesus uttered, “It is finished” (John 19:30), then gave up His spirit. But it should be noted that though atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ had been completed, yet the Mosaic Law remains and is still in effect at the point of Christ’s death, resurrection, and even after His ascension. Therefore, salvation is assured but has yet to take its full effect, see Hebrews 9:28.
A side note: Many have long held that because Christ Jesus died on the cross and rose again, everything is complete and salvation is secured forever. We frequently hear the phrase “Once saved, always saved,” which is a common interpretation that can lead believers to assume that regardless of how they live, their claim of faith in Christ guarantees salvation to the end. This is one subtle yet implied traditional idea often presented.
Let us again look at 1 Corinthians 5:7, but this time we will include the context:
Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people – not at all meaning the sexually immoral of the world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler – not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.” (1 Corinthians 5:7-13)
“Purge the evil person from among you” appears in the Old Testament within the Law of Moses, see Deuteronomy 13:5; 17:7, 12; 21:21; and 22:21, 24. This phrase was also applied against Israel, particularly the Tribe of Benjamin, in Judges 20:13. It served as a call for believers to separate themselves or be sanctified. As Hebrews 10:10 notes, “And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
The Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary defined “sanctification” as the process of God’s grace by which the believer is separated from sin and becomes dedicated to God’s righteousness. Accomplished by the Word of God (John 17:7) and the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:3–4), sanctification results in holiness, or purification from guilt and the power of sin.
I notice two issues in the NNIBD explanation. The first may be a typo: the reference for “accomplished by the Word” in John’s Gospel should be John 17:17 rather than John 17:7. The second involves a common traditional reading of Paul’s use of “Spirit” in Romans 8:4. The dictionary describes it “as the Holy Spirit,” so a quick glance at Romans 8:3–4 might suggest Paul contrasts “flesh” with “Holy Spirit.” However, a careful review of Paul’s broader argument in Romans, such as Romans 7:4–6, could clarify his actual meaning.
Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the Law through the Body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to Him who has been raised from the dead. In order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the Law, were at work in our members to bear fruit to death. But now we are released from the Law, having died to which held us captive, so that we serve in the NEW WAY OF THE SPIRIT and not in the old way of the writtencode.
In other words, Paul’s usage of “flesh” was actually a reference to the “Law,” contrasting it with the Gospel of Christ. The Gospel is the new way of the Spirit, which is not in the old way of written code— the Law of Moses.
Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to ministers of the NEW COVENANT, not of letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses’ face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory?
By “letter,” as against the “Spirit,” Paul was contrasting the Old Covenant with the New Covenant. Therefore, the “letter” refers to the “written code” mentioned also by Paul in Romans, while the “Spirit” refers to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the New Covenant of God.
Sanctification, then, is the process of God’s grace displayed on the cross, setting apart believers for God, declaring them therefore “righteous, holy, and pure” from guilt and the power of sin. However, sanctification also is a process by which every believer, now having been declared righteous, free from guilt and the power of sin, should live by. In other words, Christians should walk the talk.
But thanks be to God that you who were once slaves of sin have become obedient from the heart to the standard of teaching [the Gospel] to which you were committed, having been set free from sin, have become slaves of righteousness. I am speaking on human terms, because of your natural limitations. For just as you once presented your members as slaves to impurity and to lawlessness leading to more lawlessness, SO NOW PRESENT YOUR MEMBERS AS SLAVES TO RIGHTEOUSNESS LEADING TO SANCTIFICATION.
To make this clearer, I will restate the passage above, this time with a paraphrased English version that is easier to grasp. The New Living Translation of Romans 6:17–19 notes,
Thank God! Once you were slaved to sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching [the Gospel] we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living. Because of the weakness of your human nature, I am using the illustration of slavery to help you understand all this. Previously, you let yourselves be slaves to impurity and lawlessness, which led ever deeper to sin. NOW YOU MUST GIVE YOURSELVES SLAVES TO RIGHTEOUS LIVING SO THAT YOU WILL BECOME HOLY.
Note: “Holy” and “sanctification” share the same Greek term. Understanding this nuance helps us recognize that Bible dictionaries, like the commentaries noted earlier, are not entirely reliable. We should learn to study the Bible with care, applying proper exegesis to Scripture rather than letting tradition shape our grasp of God’s Word. Only then can we be confident that our beliefs reflect the true revelation of Scripture.
Returning to 1 Corinthians 5:7–13, celebrating the festival—meaning Passover and Unleavened Bread—implies believers should align their practice with a confession of faith expressed through sincerity and truth. This is essentially walking the talk. If we claim sanctification through Christ, we should live accordingly. Likewise, Jesus’s statement “It is finished” (John 19:30) signaled His completion of the first two Jewish feasts in Leviticus 23.
It is misleading to interpret Jesus’ statement in John 19:30 as proof that salvation is finished at the cross; instead, it marks an initial, significant stage in God’s plan. Claiming “once saved, always saved” from that verse is both illogical and unbiblical, particularly because Paul warned of a future judgment in his letter to the same believers in Corinth. See 2 Corinthians 5:10–11.
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. But what we are is known to God, and I hope it is known also to your conscience.
It is also important to recognize that Paul’s statement of judgment in 2 Corinthians 5:10 points to the Second Coming Judgment of Jesus Christ. This aligns with Revelation 20:11–15.
Then I saw a great white throne and Him who seated on it. From His presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the Lake of Fire. This is the Second Death, the Lake of Fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the Lake of Fire.
In conclusion, believers cannot reasonably assert “once saved, always saved” solely on the basis of Jesus’ one-time sacrifice and death at the cross. If salvation were revoked at God’s judgment because people fall short, Christ’s redemptive work would appear inadequate. Instead, we must recognize that God’s plan requires Jesus Christ to have fulfilled all Seven Jewish Feasts, not merely observed them; only then does salvation become real. This is why Jesus Christ stated in Matthew 5:17–18:
Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
I realize this blog may prompt many questions, as it once did for me before I grasped Scripture more clearly. The more traditions we have absorbed, the harder it becomes to understand the Bible’s true teachings. Untangling these ideas takes time, but as the saying goes, “Patience is a virtue.” Proceed one step at a time. I personally must increase my effort to let the Word of God speak, rather than letting traditional ideas shape my interpretation.
In closing, returning to John 9:39, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, and those who see may become blind.” By judgment, Jesus Christ also pointed to the same judgment described by the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:10 and Revelation 20:11–15, which I discussed earlier. On the other hand, John 9:4–5 makes it clear that “day” refers to, though is not restricted to, the time He was in the world (John 9:5). It covers the brief period after His ascension, when His immediate disciples were sent—this time by Jesus Christ—to carry out the work of God the Father (John 20:21), to believe in Jesus Christ, whom the Father has sent (John 6:29). Meanwhile, “night” aligns with the judgment spoken by Jesus Christ in John 9:39.
Returning to our conversation on John 5:1, what was biblically anticipated from Jesus Christ’s fulfillment of the Feast of Booths? We will examine John 5 next.
Peter, in the words of Acts 3:6, declared, “I possess neither silver nor gold, but in the name of Jesus Christ, I offer you what I have.” Share this article freely, for you freely receive. Take note, underlines and highlights are clickable links for definitions or Bible references. Stay updated by heading to our about page and subscribe directly to receive notifications in your inbox. Blessings!
