P4 Biblical Foundations for Marriage - Conversion

Matthew 19:7 "they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.”

    In the past three days we have considered thus far three of the four foundations of Biblical marriage: Companionship, Covenant and Communication.  As we finish up this series today, we will return back to the passage with which we began - Matthew 19.  

    Jesus was pointing his listeners back to God's original design for marriage.  In what we read in the above opening verse of today's blog, Jesus' comments on the first marriage gives us our fourth and final foundation: Conversion. In other words, if a marriage is to be a valid Christian marriage, the two people getting married need to had been born again unto salvation. 

Biblical Foundation #4 : Conversion

    So why this fourth foundation of conversion?  A quick study through the Bible will reveal that for a God-centered marriage (and not just any marriage) to start off on the right foot, both marriage partners need to be believers.  We gain this foundation from the following considerations:

1. The Pattern of marriage in original creation.  Genesis 1:26-28; Genesis 2:22-25

    When Adam and Eve were joined by God, they were joined prior to the fall.  In fact, both of them were not only in right relationship with God, but both were perfect (hence their marriage was the only perfect marriage in the history of the world!)  However, by Genesis 3, both Adam and his wife rebelled against God, breaking the original covenant given to them.  At that point they were separated from God.  Now granted, their marriage covenant was not dissolved, however their companionship and communication were greatly affected. 

2. The Pattern of marriage in redemption.   Genesis 3:20-21

    When God clothed Adam and Eve with the coats of skin, it was clear they had by grace through faith received the "Seed" promise of an ultimate redeemer given in Genesis 3:15.  Adam's naming of his wife "Eve" (mother of all living) was his confession of faith.  

    Eve's embracing of the covenant spoken to her by God in the first presentation of the Gospel indicated her reception by faith.  Only when the promise and plan of salvation is embraced by faith can the blood be applied.  Both were now reconciled to God and really to one another.  Communication and companionship was restored - as only can be the case when both the husband and wife are dwelling at the cross. 

3. The pattern of converted people go into marriage is reinforced throughout scripture

    As a minister of the Gospel, one of the qualifications I expect of any couple approaching me to be united in the bonds of holy matrimony is that they be both Christians.  2 Corinthians 6:14-15 spells out this point - "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness? 15 What accord has Christ with Belial? Or what portion does a believer share with an unbeliever?"  

    Now, what is the principle is also to be the practice, as revealed in 1 Corinthians 11:3 "But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God."

    So, how will it be that Christ is the head of the husband unless he is first in Christ by grace through faith?  Likewise, how can the wife be considered praying with her head uncovered in 1 Corinthians 11:5 unless she is a Christian?  In otherwords, Paul is outlining the order of Christian marriage: God-->Christ-->A Christian man-->A Christian woman.  

    Now we know that if two people get married who were both non-Christian individuals, and one of them gets saved, that does not invalidate the marriage (compare 1 Corinthians 7:12-14).  If you trusted in Christ after you got married, and your spouse has still remained unconverted, consider these words from 1 Peter 3:1 "Likewise, wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives".  Pray for that spouse and be the Christ-like example to them. 

    With that counsel from God's word, let me say this to young people contemplating marriage: under no circumstances should a Christian marry a non-Christian. A non-Christian spouse won't have a heart for God, no matter how well-meaning they may be or how tolerant they may attempt to be in allowing the Christian spouse to practice their faith.  

    The principle is plain: Christian people should only marry other Christian people if they want to have a Christian, Godly marriage.  This foundation, along with the other three foundations, are what the scriptures reveal to be the essentials for a bibilically sound marriage.

Conclusion

    We have explored the Godly foundations for marriage ordained by God in Genesis 2:18-25. We first saw that in companionship the husband and wife reflect the inner reality of God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. 

    Second, marriage is a covenant wherein husbands and wives demonstrate the covenant relationship God desires to have with His people.  

    Thirdly, communication, speaks to the intimacy between husbands and wives on the physical, emotional and spiritual levels.  This reflects who God is in His role as the supreme communicator. Satan’s plan for destroying marriages is to interrupt communication. If that takes place, breaking of the covenant and companionship will follow. 

    Then finally, in order to have a Christian marriage that is biblically sound, Christian people should marry only other Christian people.  Conversion to Christ must be in place for there to be Christ-centered marriages.  With these four Biblical foundations: Companionship, Covenant, Communication and Conversion, the hope is that all of us who are married, or any of you reading this who are seeking to be so, will attain long lasting, Christ-honoring marriages.   

P3 Biblical Foundations for Marriage - Communication

Genesis 2:23-24 "Then the man said,“This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” 24Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."

Yesterday we looked at the second foundation for Biblical Marriage: Covenant.  In this blog series we have thus identified two fundamental foundations to Biblical marriage: Companionship and Covenant.  In today's blog we want to consider the third foundation of Biblical marriage: Communication.

Third Foundation of Godly Marriage: Communication – Gen 2:25

      When Genesis 2:25 states that Adam and Eve were “naked and not ashamed”, it is referring not only to their physical state, but also communication.  The idea of nakedness in the Hebrew language refers to “unhindered communication”, whereas shame refers to “confusion and breakdown in communication”.  As a perfect marriage, Adam and Eve enjoyed unhindered communication in body, soul and spirit.  Just as God Himself is all about communication, He desired to have reflected in Adam and Eve that same reality. 

    As Jesus expounds upon this passage in Matthew 19:3-6, He notes first of all how God had created "male and female" as originally stated in Genesis 1:26-28.  The terms translated "male" and "female" are intended to communicate the diversity that exists within marriage.  Likewise Jesus then discusses in Matthew 19:6 this statement from Genesis 2:24 "So they are no longer two, but one flesh..."  God created marriage to be not only a diversity but at the same time a union between the husband and the wife. 

    As God had created Adam and and his wife in His "image" and "likeness", those two terms pointed to the capacity of Adam and his wife to communicate and receive communication from God and one another.  Adam, the recipient of God's revelation (Genesis 2:15-17) was to communicate it to his wife.  She in turn was to yield to Adam while at the same time co-ruling with him as God's delegated king and queen over creation.1

Satan's war on marriage - the breaking down of communication

    Sadly, in Genesis 3 Adam and his wife rebel against God in the garden.  Once Satan had destroyed communication between the husband and wife, their break of relationship with God naturally followed.  Since the covenant was broken with God, companionship was lost.  Satan knew that if he could disrupt communication, the other two foundations would fall like dominoes.  

    From Genesis 3 on the introduction of sin and death into the human race and the world would also affect marriage.  Since marriage pictures something true about God Himself, Satan's strategy in destroying marriages is not only to undermine humanity, but the picture of God Himself. 

More tomorrow.........

End Notes________________

1. The Hebrew word for "rule" in Genesis 1:26 speaks of exercising dominion or rule over creation.  Adam and his wife were delegated authority by God, an authority they forfeited in the fall.  The breakage of the Covenant of Works in Genesis 3:1-7 meant loss of the effectiveness to exercise authority. 

P2 Biblical Foundations for Marriage - Covenant

Genesis 2:23-24 

"Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” 24Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."

    Yesterday we began a short blog series exploring the Biblical foundations of marriage as conceived by God.  Jesus was debating the Pharisees who tried to trap him in an argument about divorce in Matthew 19.  Instead of playing their game, Jesus went back to God's original design for marriage.  We looked at the first foundation for Biblical Marriage: Companionship.  In today's blog we want to consider the second foundation of Biblical marriage: Covenant.
 

Second Foundation of Godly Marriage: Covenant – Gen 2:21-24

            

    In Genesis 2:21 we read: “And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall on Adam, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in its place.” God was literally cutting into the side of Adam, and forming from his rib the woman, Adam’s wife.  In biblical terms the word for “covenant” literally means “to cut”.  A covenant is a binding agreement between God and people.  In the marriage relationship, we see a picture of God’s binding relationship, or covenant with His people, and their relationship to Him. 

      According to Hebrews 6:16-18, a covenant in scripture contains two elements: an oath and a promise.  Hebrew 6:16-18 reads - "For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation. 17 So when God desired to show more convincingly to the heirs of the promise the unchangeable character of his purpose, he guaranteed it with an oath, 18 so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us." 

    When God made covenants, He swore an oath indicating that the success of the covenant hinged on His identity as the unchanging God.  When God made promises, he was pledging to do certain things for His people. 

 

How the marriage covenant pictures the New Covenant relationship between Christ and His church

     In the marriage husbands and wives make both oaths and promises before God.  In making an oath to one another, each partner is placing their reputation and identity into the hands of the other.  By these acts, marriage is made in covenant before God between the husband and wife.  This idea of marriage as covenant is pictured beautifully in the New Testament as the relationship between Christ and His church (Ephesians 5:23-24).  

    As many writers of the past have pointed out, just as Adam had to be put to sleep to have God form his spouse from his side, Christ had to sleep the sleep of death and have a spear driven into his side (John 19:33-34).  According to 1 John 5:7-8, the water and blood that came out of Jesus side on the cross testifies to the love and formation of the church itself, of whom He died for and purchased on the cross (Acts 20:28).  It is not a contract to be negotiated, but a covenant that binds the husband and wife together, as they in turn bind themselves to Holy God. 

 

More tommorrow................

P1 Biblical Foundations for Marriage - Companionship

Genesis 2:24 "Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."

Matthew 19:3-4 "And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” 4He answered, “Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, 5and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’?"

Setting the context for the show down between the Pharisees and Jesus in Matthew 19 

    In a conversation between Jesus and the Pharisees, the Pharisees ask Jesus this question in Matthew 19:3^:  “The Pharisees also came to Him, testing Him, and saying to Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for just any reason?”’  This was a loaded question. The Pharisees were in continual debate among themselves as to whether people could divorce for any and every reason, or for only a handful of reasons (among which was adultery or marital unfaithfulness). 

 

The Pharisees debates about divorce, and the setting of a trap

 So what could had prompted the Pharisees and Jewish Leaders to engage Jesus in this line of questioning about divorce and marriage?  Bible teacher John MacArthur comments on this text, noting that John the Baptist was beheaded for denouncing of Herod Antipas' unethical marriage to his brother-in-law's wife (Matthew 14).With Jesus ministering in Herod's political backyard, the Jewish leaders saw an opportunity to trap Jesus and perhaps get him in trouble or worse.1 

The Pharisees, when debating the issue of divorce, would appeal to Deuteronomy 24:1-4, where God through Moses permitted and regulated divorces in the nation of Israel.  In Deuteronomy 24:1 we read: “If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house,”.   The underlined phrase occupied the center of the debates about divorce among the Pharisees.2

 

The Pharisees were expecting Jesus to follow the well-known debate of the day and respond from Deuteronomy 24:1-4. If Jesus said that divorce was allowable in all circumstances, the restrictive group of Pharisees (The Shammites) could accuse Jesus of being too liberal with the Bible.  On the other hand, if Jesus placed restrictions on divorce, the more liberal group of Pharisees (The Hillelites), could say that Jesus is in some way deny Moses teaching on divorce.  The trap was set, what would Jesus do?

Jesus sees the trap, and appeals to scripture

Jesus in His wisdom avoids the debate altogether and uses scripture for His response.  Matthew 19:4-6 records:

^4 And He answered and said to them, “Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning ‘made them male and female,’ ^5 and said,  ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and  the two shall become one flesh’ ? ^6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.”

 



Jesus appeals to God's original design of marriage: Considering the four foundations of biblical marriage

    Jesus disarmed the trap of the Pharisees by appealing to Genesis 1:26-28 and 2:18-25.3   As you study those two passages and the more than 80 passages in God's Word on the subject of marriage, you find four fundamental foundations of marriage ordained by God: Companionship, Communication and Covenant and Conversion.  Today's blog will deal with the first foundation: Companionship.

First foundation of Godly marriage:  Companionship – Genesis 2:18-20

      

    God said in Genesis 2:19 - "It is not good for man to be alone, I will make him a helper fit for him.”  Anytime we see God saying that something is not good in the first two chapters of Genesis, this indicates that God is not yet finished with that particular part of creation.  Genesis 2 is repeating and reminding us of various portions of the creation week in Genesis 1. God is indicating that man needs a companion who will be his helper in his role as a king and shepherd over creation (Genesis 1:27-30).  In other words Adam needed Eve to help complete him, and Eve needed Adam to protect her. 
      

    In scripture we three fundamental types of companionship that come together perfectly and uniquely in marriage.  First of all the husband and wife share emotional companionship.  On the one hand, woman is described as a weaker vessel in need of love and nurturing by the husband. 1 Peter 3:7a states - "Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel...".  However, on the other hand, the wife is equal in value to the husband.  1 Peter 3:7b tells us - "since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered." 

      As emotional companions with one another, the scripture second notes how the husband and wife are physical companions of one another.  As Adam's equal and yet cherished companion, bothEve and he were to reflect the truth of who God is in and of Himself, namely an ongoing companionship between Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  This idea of companionship still holds true today.  If anything, the only proper place for the intimacy and companionship among men and women is within the bonds of marriage.  Hebrews 13:4 asserts the purity and uniqueness of sexual intimacy within marriage - "Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous."

      With the emotional and physical dimensions of marriages companionship unfolded, the scripture notices a third aspect of companionship in marriage - the spiritual.  People today often limit marriage to its physical or emotional dimensions.  Sexual intimacy is viewed merely as a physical act in our society.  It is cheapened and viewed one dimensionally.  

    Yet scripture reveals the fact that sexual intimacy between a husband and wife is as much of a spiritual act as a physical one.  The act of love is viewed only as an emotion.  However the love between a husband and a wife is as much spiritual as emotional.  Ephesians 5:25-26 "Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word." 

       There we see how the emotional companionship is tied to the spiritual companionship between Christ and His church.  Furthermore Ephesians 5:28 "In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself."  There we see the physical companionship is shown to be as much spiritual as physical.   In tying all of this together, we will finish today with 1 Corinthians 11:3 "But I want you to understand that the head of every man is Christ, the head of a wife is her husband, and the head of Christ is God."

More next time.........
 

End Notes______________________

1. John MacArthur preached a six-part series on Jesus' teaching on marriage and divorce from Matthew 19.  In this particular message MacArthur noted: "They (The Pharisees) don't want an answer, they want to discredit jesus.  They want him to articulate His hard-line, God-never-intended-divorce view and so alienate Himself from the people.  They also know that he was in the territory of Herod Antipas who already beheaded John the Baptist for his views on divorce and they think maybe they can even have Jesus eliminated.  So, they're after him.  So, in verse 3 is the attack."
 

2. One group of Pharisees, the Hillelites, believed that the phrase “indecent about her” meant that men could divorce women for any and every reason, including the burning of supper or bad physical appearance!  The second group of Pharisees, the Shammites, taught that the phrase “indecent” was limited to cases of adultery or marital infidelity on part of the spouse. 

3. The Pharisees had become so knowledgeable about divorce, that they lost sight of God’s original design for marriage. As much as we could spend time dealing with scriptures and the knotty issues that swirl about the issue of divorce, it is preferable for this blog series to take Jesus' approach and focus on God's original design for marriage. 

 

 

Matt 24-25 Jesus & the End Times P3

Matthew 24:29 “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."

For the past couple of days we have been exploring Jesus' final words on final things in Matthew 24-25 - what Bible scholars refer to as His Olivet discourse.  In part 1 we did an overview of Jesus' teaching about last things (eschatology) in Matthew 24-25, noting that He aimed to answer three questions raised in Matthew 24:3.  In Part 2 we briefly sampled other scriptures used by Jesus from the Old Testament and ways in which Jesus' Olivet Discourse possibly set the stage for the New Testament teaching on eschatology (study of last things).  In today's blog we will explore parallel passages from Mark 13 and Luke 17 to see what the other Gospel writers recorded about Jesus' final sermon.

How people have interpreted Jesus' Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24-25; Mark 13; Luke 21
Dr. Timothy Paul Jones, a professor at Southern baptist Theological Seminary, has written a very helpful book entitled: "Rose Guide to End Times Prophecy".  In the book, Jones covers every conceivable subject in Bible Prophecy or Eschatology, including Jesus' Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24-25, Mark 13 and Luke 21.  He notes two prevailing interpretations of Matthew 24: futurism (viewing every predicted event as in the far future) and a combination of futurism and what is called "preterism" (meaning "past", a view which takes most prophecy to had occured in the first century shortly after Jesus' ascension).  I will mentioned a third position of this passage which views all or almost all of Matthew 24 as having taken place in the first century - i.e pure "preterist" and "moderate preterism" positions.

1. Matthew 24-25 has yet to take place (Futurist Interpretation). 
As the name implies, a futurist interpreter views all of Jesus' remarks in Matthew 24 to be taking place in the far future.1 

2. Matthew 24 is partially fulfilled in the 1st century and completely fulfilled when Jesus returns (futurism + preterist interpretation).
This second type of interpretation views Matthew 24:1-36 and part of Mark 13 and Luke 21 as being Jesus' prediction of events near to Him in the first century, with the remainder of Matthew 24 and 25 referring to events at the end of history when He returns.  As we mentioned before, those interpreters who take the events of prophecy to be referring primarily to the past events of the first century are called "preterists" (pre-ter-ist), a word meaning "past".  As we already saw, those who see prophetic events as dealing with events in the future are called "futurists".2 

3. All or most of Matthew 24 took place with the destruction of the Jewish Temple in  70 A.D (Radical Preterism and Moderate Preterism)
This third view of Matthew 24 tends to take a totally "preterist" or "past" tense viewpoint of Matthew 24, meaning that everything Jesus spoke in that chapter refers to what would be the destruction of the temple by the Romans in 70 A.D.3  If we were to visualize these various takes on Matthew 24, here is what we would have:

Futurism---------Partial futurism-----Moderate & Radical Preterism
                          Partial Preterism

So what are we to make of these prevailing options of interpretation? They all fit within the mane of conservative/Bible believing Christianity.  Obviously some (futurism) are more popular and well known than others (moderate and pure preterism).  The Bible student must never interpret scripture by polls, but rather by comparing scripture with other scripture.  When we consider the parallel accounts of Mark 13 and Luke 21, we find much aid in understanding Matthew 24-25. In my own study (below), I would contend that how one interprets the Olivet Discourse will regulate how one approaches the rest of Bible prophecy.4 

How we can interpret Matthew 24-25 in light of Mark 13 and Luke 21
Mark 13:1-37 is Jesus' Olivet discourse in Mark's Gospel.  In this version, we find Jesus not answering three questions but two questions raised by the disciples in Mark 13:4...

1. "Tell us, when will these things be?
2. "and what will be the sign when these things are fulfilled?"

In Luke 21:7-38 we witness the same sermon as recorded by Luke under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.  In Luke 21:7 we see the disciples raising the same two questions as we see in Mark's version....

1. "Teacher, when therefore will these things happen?"
2. "And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?"

In Mark and Luke's accounts, we see two questions recorded, whereas in Matthew's account, we witness three questions, with the first two virtually identical to Mark and Luke's, but with the third asking about the end of the age.  In studying Mark 13 and Luke 21, we can discern a two-fold or two-point outline of Jesus' sermon as recorded by those Gospel writers:

1. Prediction of the Destruction of the temple and Jerusalem. (Mark 13:1-23; Luke 21:7-23)

2. Prediction of future events surrounding Christ's return. (Mark 13:24-37; Luke 21:24-36)

So with these observations from Mark and Luke, what can we conclude about our understanding of Matthew's fuller rendering of Jesus entire sermon in Matthew 24-25?  It would seem to this blogger that Jesus is predicting both the destruction of the Temple in 70 A.D and the events of His future second coming in Matthew 24 (i.e option #2).  Being that Jesus' full sermon is recorded by Matthew for his purposes in Matthew 24-25, the third question about "the end of the age" can be included as referring not merely to the end of the Old Testament nation of Israel, but rather the end of history.  As we close today, the following outline of Matthew 24-25 could be rendered as follows:

1. Jesus predicts the destruction of the temple in 70 A.D as a warning to his hearers and disciples.   I believe he answers the first question as posed by the disciples in Matthew 24:3.  (24:1-14)

2. Jesus then transitions, using the impending destruction of the temple as a pattern for what will be the future tribulation and events leading up to His second coming. This corresponds with the second question posed by the disciples in Matthew 24:3 (24:15-25:30)

3. Jesus answer the third question of Matthew 24:3, focusing entirely on the fact that His second coming will bring an end to this current age, as well as emphasizing the fact He will be the Judge. (25:31-41)

End Notes____________________

1. As Dr. Jones notes on page 200 of his book: "Instead of addressing the destruction of the temple, Jesus taught his disciples about a future tribulation, near the end time as we know it. His focus was on: 1. The calamaties at the beginning of the tribulation; 2. The Anti-Christ's sacrilege in the rebuilt Jewish Temple; 3. The return of the 'Son of Man' to earth."

2. According to Dr. Jones' book, those who avoid totally putting all of Matthew 24 in the future tend to be a combination of both futurists and preterist. As Jones notes on page 201: "This first century judgment pointed forward to the judgment that will come when Jesus returns to earth."  

3. I have a book in my library written by Evangelist John L. Bray entitled "Matthew 24 fulfilled" - which by the name alone summarizes a purely preterist view of Jesus' words - i.e every single word of Matthew 24 was fulfilled in the first century. The more well know Bible teacher R.C Sproul wrote a book entitled "The Last Days According to Jesus" wherein he proposes a more softened form of preterism. 

4. As a Southern Baptist I have read all three of these various interpretations as existing under the umbrella of Baptist life.  John Gill, the great 17th century Baptist minister would had been a pure preterist.  The First Pastor at 1st Baptist Dallas, whose name escapes me at this moment, would had been perhaps a moderate preterist.  His successor, W.A Criswell, was no question a futurist when it came to interpreting Matthew 24 and other prophetic passages.  

Matt 24-25 Jesus & the End Times - P2

Matthew 24:15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),

An Illustration - working one of the largest warehouses in the world
Nearly fifteen years ago I worked at UPS shipping at a major U.S City.  The warehouse where I worked had over 300 employees handling over 1 million packages a day.  When the packages came in, our job was to load them into trucks going to their intended destinations.  I can remember conveyor belts running everywhere, up high and on ground level.  The building was enormous, stretching almost half a mile in each direction and spanning 200 feet from floor to ceiling.  Quite literally we handled all things coming in and out.  When I look at Jesus' sermon "The Olivet Discourse" in Matthew 24-25, I picture it in much the same manner.  All themes on last things (eschatology) meet in Jesus' sermon.  Packaged truths about the end times from the Old Testament find their fulfillment in this one sermon.  Furthermore, truths that will later be developed by the Apostles in the New Testament have their beginning in Jesus' sermon. Yesterday we outlined Matthew 24-25, today we want to see how much this sermon is central to the Bible's teaching on end times events.

Seeing how Matthew 24-25 is central to the Bible's discussions on the end times
1. For one thing, you may have noticed in the opening verse of today's blog that Jesus quoted from Daniel.  Daniel was a prophet who lived some 600 years before Jesus.  He was only 15 years of age when he and the Southern Kingdom of Judah were carried off to the Babylonian exile.  For 70 years he would live, all the while receiving timely and timeless visions from God about events near to his day and events yet to come.  Jesus refers to Daniel several times: quoting Daniel 9:27, 11:31, 12:11 in Matthew 24:15; Daniel 7:13 in Matthew 24:30 and quoting Daniel 12:1 in Matthew 24:21.  Daniel's series of visions and predictions are important in the study of Bible prophecy, and Jesus uses Daniel almost exclusively for much of what He communicates in Matthew 24-25.

2. Other prophetic books are background to the parables used by Jesus in his sermon.  For example, the prophets Jeremiah (5:17) and Haggai (2:19) utilize figs or fig trees in their prophecies of judgment.  Isaiah chapter 58:7 is used quite a bit in describing the actions of the righteous in Matthew 25:35-36

3. With the Old Testament used as the background for Jesus Sermon, it is clear He is the fulfillment and completion of the Old Testament predictions.  But what of the New Testament?  Paul speaks about the end of the age and the abomination of desolation in 2 Thessalonians 2:6-11, a major point made by Jesus in Matthew 24:5, 14, 15 & 21. We also see the theme of "being alert" which comprises Jesus' closing point in his sermon is utilized by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-4, 6-8.  Then of course the theme of judgment figures prominently in 2 Peter 3 and Revelation 19-21.  What are "seeds of thought" spoken of her by the Master become fully mature trees of thought in the book of Acts, the Epistles and Revelation. 

I hope that has whetted your appetite to want to study Jesus' words a little more closely.  May the Lord richly bless you dear friend as you continue to study His word. 

Matt 24-25 Jesus & the End Times - P1

Matthew 24:1-2 1 Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. 2 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.”

  

Jesus final words on final things

In Matthew 24:3, Jesus is answering three main questions from the disciples on Bible prophecy or what is sometimes called "eschatology" (study of last things) 

1. "Tell us, when will these things happen"

2. "and what will be the sign of your coming"

3. "and of the end of the age?"
 

What prompted this line of questioning was the disciples admiration of the seemingly indestructible grandeur of Herod's temple.  They had witnessed The Master enter into Jerusalem days before in Matthew 21, presenting Himself as Israel's King.  By His parable about the Wedding Feast in Matthew 22, it was clear that the nation had rejected their invitation to come and be the Messiah's bride.  Further actions from Jesus  led to the denouncement of the Pharisees and temple system in Matthew 23, with the journey from the temple to the Mount of Olives in Matthew 24.  Undoubtedly the disciples were thinking that their Master had come to overthrow Rome and to deliver both they and the nation from its tyranny.  Furthermore, looking at the grandeur of the temple overwhelmed them.

As Jesus would deliver his "last words on last things", it is important to realize that this message, called "The Olivet Discourse", provides the cornerstone for understanding what Bible teachers call "eschatology" or "study of last things" (i.e Bible prophecy).  What Jesus was going to do was to bring together the major themes of eschatology from the Old Testament and show how all history and prophetic fulfillment is culminated in Himself. 

For today at least, I want the reader to consider the three questions raised by the disciples in Matthew 24:3 as an outline of this majestic sermon by Jesus here in Matthew 24-25.

Understanding the flow and outline of Matthew 24-25

1. "Tell us, when will these things happen"  Matthew 24:1-41
The "these things" refer to Jesus' comments in Matthew 24:2 of not one stone of Herod's temple being left upon another.  What Jesus aimed to do in Matthew 24:1-41 was to answer when and how that was going to happen.  To the disciples, Herod's temple seemed indestructible, since it had taken over 40 years to build.  Yet Jesus predicts in Matthew 24:4-14 what would be the historic destruction of that very temple in 70 A.D.  Then with a seamless transition, Jesus uses the prediction of the temple's destruction as a template to point his disciples and us to the farther future in Matthew 24:15-20.  By the time you reach Matthew 24:21-31, you realize you are no longer in the first century times following Jesus' ascension and the Temple's destruction, but now you are witnessing the yet to come tribulation period. As Jesus finishes out answering this first question, He uses the parable of the fig tree in Matthew 24:32-41 to summarize both His near prediction of Herod's Temple's destruction in 70 A.D and the future Great Tribulation. 
 

2. "And what will be the sign of your coming" Matt 24:42-25:30
The answer to this second question has Jesus the Master preacher moving onto his second point concerning His second coming.  Matthew 24:1-41 is the warm-up and first point to what is the central theme of Jesus' final sermon: Readiness for His Second Coming.  As you read Matthew 24:42-25:30, you see statements about "readiness":

a. Matthew 24:42 - "Therefore be on the alert"
b. Matthew 24:44 - "be ready"
c. Matthew 25:10 - "who were ready"
d. Matthew 25:13 "Be on the alert then"

To reinforce the readiness necessary for His Second coming, Jesus uses several parables:

a. Wedding attendants of a Jewish bride (called virgins, comparable to bridemaids) who were awaiting for the arrival of the Bridegroom coming for the bride.  Five were ready and five were not, revealing that truly saved people will be eager for Christ's return, whereas those who are pretenders and not saved will think they have plenty of time. (Matthew 25:1-13)

b. Another parable about a group of three servants given a certain responsibility over oversight to the Master's money.  Two of the servants made their master's money gain interest, since they were anticipating His immediate and imminent return.  The last servant was not expecting His master, and thus demonstrated his lost condition.  (Matthew 25:14-30)

c. It is worth mentioning that Jesus also tells the parable of the fig tree in Matthew 24:32-41 with this same general sense of "being ready".  Though those verses occur in a different part of his sermon, yet as only Jesus the Master Preacher can do, all parts of His final message has a unity and purpose.  Be ready!

 

3. "And of the end of the age?"  Matthew 25:31-46
With the first two questions answered with some necessary overlap in the points, Jesus moves onto answer the disciples third question from Matthew 24:3.  By this point in His message, Jesus is in the far future, near the end of time and history itself.  I won't get into too many details on this final part, however we can make a couple of quick observations:

a. There are two groups of people gathered before Jesus: the Sheep and the Goats.  The Sheep are believers and the Goats are unbelievers. 

b. Because God progressively reveals His truth in greater and greater detail as time goes on, what we must understand is that Jesus is summarizing the theme of judgment.  No mention is made for example of His 1,000 year reign - a period of time that is more specifically dealt with in Revelation 20.  For Jesus' purposes in His sermon, the Millenial reign is not the focus, in so much is His answering of the final question: "and the end of the age"? As the master preacher, Jesus kept zeroed in on His main points, and did not deivate.

c. What amazes me about this final section is how personal Jesus is going to be in the judgment of believers and in the judgment of unbelievers.  Every word, deed and action will be reviewed.  When you consider the billions of people who have ever lived, you would think that such a judgment would take almost an eternity.  Yet Christ is demonstrating the fact He is truly omniscient, being able to handle such information with ease, effort and accuracy. 

Tomorrow we will take a closer look at this sermon of Jesus in understanding how it enables us to understand other scriptures that deal with end times (eschatology).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The situation that prompted the disciples to ask Jesus these three questions stemmed from their admiration of the grandeur of Herod's temple. Undoubtedly in the wider context of Matthew 21-25, Jesus had entered into Jerusalem to present Himself as Israel's King and the casting out of money changers in the temple. (Matthew 21) Matthew 22 has Jesus presenting the parable of the Marriage feast, where He illustrates the people's true attitude towards Him in rejecting His invitation to them to be His bride and subjects. With the prophetic/eschatological overtones thick in Jesus' words and actions, He then denounces both the temple system and the Pharisees with a series of woes in Matthew 23. With all of these words and activities preceeding the conversation in Matthew 24, it is no wonder the disciples thought that maybe Christ had came to deliver them from Roman Tyranny and usher in the Kingdom.

As we think further on prophetic themes in scripture, I felt it necessary to introduce the reader to Jesus' sermon on the subject - what is commonly referred to as "The Olivet Discourse" in Matthew 24-25.  When we speak about the subject of Bible prophecy or "last things", Bible teachers use the term "eschatology" ("eschatos" = final or last things and "ology" = study of).  In eschatology, questions about such subjects as Christ's return to what happens to people when they die to the future state of Israel, the church, the millennium and Eternity are raised.