Participants: Pr. Stephen Bohr
Series Code: SMTF
Program Code: SMTF000003
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00:34 okShall we bow our heads for prayer?
00:37 Father in heaven, what a joy it is to be in Your presence. 00:41 And, Father, as we open Your holy word, we ask, 00:45 we plead for the guidance of Your Holy Spirit. 00:48 Give us, Lord, clarity of thought 00:50 and give us also willing hearts to receive Your word. 00:54 And we thank you for hearing and answering our prayer, 00:56 for we ask it in the precious name of Jesus, amen. 01:02 The title of our study today is "The Abomination of Desolation." 01:08 Now in our last study we touched briefly upon 01:11 the abomination of desolation as it related 01:15 to the first destruction of Jerusalem in the year 586. 01:19 But in our study today we're going to deal 01:22 with the second destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70 A.D. 01:29 And we cannot understand the destruction of the city 01:31 unless we understand the events that led up 01:35 to the destruction of the city. 01:37 And so what we're going to do is begin our study in Matthew 24:5. 01:44 And we're going to notice 01:45 a clear line of events in sequence, 01:49 one event right after another. 01:52 Also, I must warn you that we're not going to read 01:56 text exclusively from the Gospel of Matthew. 02:00 Wherever Mark or Luke add information 02:03 to what we have in Matthew I'm going to also include 02:07 the perspective of Mark and Luke. 02:10 So we're going to study the sequence of events 02:13 that led up to the destruction of Jerusalem 02:16 from the perspective of the three gospels. 02:20 Let's begin our study at Matthew 24:5-8. 02:26 This is what I call the preliminary signs. 02:30 It says, "For many will come in My name, saying, 02:34 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. 02:39 And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. 02:42 See that you are not troubled, for all these things 02:45 must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 02:48 For nation will rise against nation, 02:50 and kingdom against kingdom, 02:52 and there will be famines, pestilences, 02:55 and earthquakes in various places. 02:58 All these are the beginning of sorrows." 03:01 Notice that these are preliminary signs. 03:03 The worst is yet to come, is what Jesus is saying. 03:08 Notice some more signs here, false Christ, wars, 03:11 rumors of wars, nation rising against nation, 03:15 famines, pestilences, and earthquakes. 03:19 Now what I would like to do is take each of these signs 03:22 individually and show you how in the New Testament 03:26 and also in history, 03:27 primarily through the writings of Josephus 03:30 and the Roman historian Tacitus, 03:32 these signs were fulfilled leading up 03:35 to the destruction of Jerusalem. 03:37 First of all let's talk about 03:39 false Christs and false prophets. 03:43 Notice Acts 5:36 and 37. 03:47 Here we find the names, 03:48 the specific names of two of those false prophets 03:52 that arose between the death of Jesus 03:54 and the destruction of Jerusalem. 03:57 It says there, "For some time ago 03:59 Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. 04:04 A number of men, about 400, joined him. 04:07 He was slain, and all who obeyed him 04:10 were scattered and came to nothing. 04:13 After this man, Judas of Galilee 04:16 rose up in the days of the census, 04:19 and drew away many people after him. 04:22 He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed." 04:27 So you have two false prophets that are mentioned here 04:30 by name or false Christs, Theudas and Judas of Galilee. 04:35 Now in Acts 8:9 and 10 we find another false prophet. 04:41 His name of course, Simon Magus or Simon, the magician. 04:45 Notice Acts 8:9 and 10. 04:48 "But there was a certain man named Simon, 04:51 who previously practiced sorcery in the city 04:55 and astonished the people of Samaria, 04:57 claiming that he was someone great, 05:00 to whom they all gave heed, 05:02 from the least to the greatest, saying, 05:05 'This man is the great power of God.'" 05:09 In the book "The Desire of Ages," page 628, 05:13 where Ellen White describes the destruction of Jerusalem 05:16 she says this, "Many false messiahs will appear, 05:21 claiming to work miracles, 05:24 and declaring that the time of the deliverance 05:26 of the Jewish nation has come. 05:29 These will mislead many." 05:32 Then she says, "Christ's words were fulfilled. 05:36 Between His death and the siege of Jerusalem 05:40 many false messiahs appeared." 05:44 Notice also the testimony of Flavius Josephus 05:48 who was a Jewish historian born in the year 37 A.D., 05:52 several decades before the destruction of Jerusalem. 05:55 He said this, "Moreover, impostors and deceivers 06:00 called upon the mob to follow them into the desert. 06:04 For they said that they would show them 06:06 unmistakable marvels and signs 06:09 that would be wrought in harmony with God's designs." 06:13 Also in the book "Wars of the Jews," 06:17 Josephus says this, "Deceivers and impostors, 06:21 under the pretense of divine inspiration 06:24 fostering revolutionary changes, 06:27 they persuaded the multitude to act like madmen, 06:31 and led them out into the desert 06:33 under the belief that God would give them 06:36 tokens of deliverance." 06:38 Once again Josephus in his work "Antiquities of the Jews" 06:42 had this to say about false prophets 06:45 that led up to the destruction of Jerusalem. 06:47 He said, "In Judea matters were constantly 06:50 going from bad to worse. 06:53 For the country was again infested with bands of brigands 06:57 and impostors who deceived the mob." 07:01 So there were false Christ and false prophets 07:04 by the testimony of scripture 07:06 and also by the testimony of Flavius Josephus, 07:09 the Jewish historian. 07:11 Now what about wars and rumors of wars and social unrest? 07:16 There was much of that as well. 07:18 You know, Jesus was born during the period 07:21 of what has come to be known as the Pax Romana. 07:24 In other words, the Roman peace. 07:26 And according to Roman historians 07:29 this period from 17 B.C. 07:32 during the emperorship of Augustus 07:35 all the way till the year 67 under Nero 07:38 there was an unparallel peace in the history of the Roman Empire. 07:43 That is until Nero sent Vespasian, 07:47 his General, to quelch the rebellion 07:50 that was taking place in the city of Jerusalem 07:53 and then everything fell into disarray. 07:57 Everything fell apart 07:59 and no longer was there peace anywhere. 08:01 There were natural disasters everywhere 08:03 as we're going to notice. 08:05 In fact, there were many wars because Vespasian, 08:09 as was his policy, as he went to Jerusalem 08:12 he finished off every nation that he found in the way 08:16 so that they would not interfere in the destruction of Jerusalem. 08:19 In fact, Josephus says that it was his strategy 08:23 to leave nothing outside of Jerusalem behind him 08:27 that might interrupt in the siege. 08:30 There are many wars. 08:32 Notice "Desire of Ages," page 628, 08:36 "Prior to thedestruction of Jerusalem, 08:39 men wrestled for the supremacy. 08:42 Emperors were murdered. 08:44 Those supposed to be standing next to the throne were slain. 08:50 There were wars and rumors of wars." 08:53 In fact, we know that the Jews themselves 08:56 had battles with the Ascalonians, 08:59 the Samaritans, the Alexandrians, 09:01 and the Syrians just a few years 09:03 before the destruction of Jerusalem. 09:06 Tacitus, the great Roman historian, 09:08 who lived from the year 55 till the year 117 A.D, 09:13 had this to say about this period. 09:15 He said, "The history on which I am entering 09:18 is that of a period rich in disasters, 09:22 terrible in battles, torn by civil struggles, 09:26 horrible even in peace. 09:28 Four emperors failed by the sword. 09:31 There were three civil wars, more foreign wars 09:34 and often both at the same time." 09:38 And Josephus had this to say, 09:40 "All was in disorder after the death of Nero." 09:45 And so there were great numbers of wars and rumors of wars 09:50 that led up to the destruction of Jerusalem 09:52 both according to scripture 09:54 and also according to the Jewish historian, 09:57 Josephus and the Roman historian, Tacitus. 10:01 Now what about famines and pestilences 10:04 between the death of Jesus 10:06 and the destruction of Jerusalem? 10:08 In Acts 11:28, 10:10 we find the mention of one of these horrendous famines. 10:14 It says there in Acts 11:28, 10:17 "Then one of them, named Agabus, 10:21 stood up and showed by the Spirit 10:24 that there was going to be a great famine 10:27 throughout all the world, 10:29 which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar." 10:34 By the way, Josephus calls this famine, the great famine. 10:39 And if you read in "Antiquities of the Jews" 10:41 as well as in Josephus' book "Wars of the Jews" 10:44 he mentions many other famines 10:47 that also took place around the same time. 10:50 Ellen White, in the book "The Great Controversy," 10:53 page 32 concurs with Josephus with these words, 10:58 "Thousands" speaking about Jerusalem, 11:01 "Thousands perished from famine and pestilence. 11:05 Natural affection seemed to have been destroyed. 11:09 Husbands robbed their wives, and wives their husbands. 11:13 Children would be seen snatching the food 11:17 from the mouths of their good parents." 11:21 In fact, Lamentations 4:10 were sung, 11:26 as I mentioned in our last lecture, 11:28 in conjunction with this destruction of Jerusalem. 11:31 And the Book of Lamentations 4:10 11:34 speaks about mothers eating their children 11:38 because of a severe famine. 11:40 Notice what it says there, 11:41 "The hands of the compassionate women 11:44 have cooked their own children. 11:47 They became food for them 11:48 in the destruction of the daughter of my people." 11:52 In fact, this was a fulfillment 11:53 of one of the curses of the covenant 11:55 that are mentioned in Deuteronomy 28:56 and 57. 12:00 God had said that if Israel did not obey His voice 12:04 and follow His covenant that things like this would occur. 12:09 Ellen White in "Great Controversy," 12:10 page 31 describes the hunger in the city this way. 12:14 "So fierce were the pangs of hunger 12:18 that men would gnaw the leather of their belts 12:22 and sandals and the covering of their shields. 12:26 Great numbers of the people would steal out at night 12:30 to gather wild plants growing outside the city walls, 12:34 though many were seized 12:36 and put to death with cruel torture, 12:39 and often those who returned in safety 12:42 were robbed of what they had gleaned at so great peril." 12:47 So there were severe famines, terrible hunger, 12:50 especially once the city of Jerusalem was besieged. 12:54 Now what about earthquakes and supernatural phenomenon? 12:58 We're following the order of the phenomenon 13:01 that we read at the beginning of our study. 13:04 Tacitus, the Roman historian, 13:06 in his book "The Annals of Tacitus" 13:09 describes earthquakes in Crete, Rome, 13:12 Apamea, Phrygia, Campania, and Laodicea and also Pompeii 13:19 just before the destruction of Jerusalem. 13:21 That's a lot of earthquakes in a lot of places. 13:25 In fact, Tacitus described one of these earthquakes 13:28 during the emperorship of Claudius. 13:31 He says this, 13:32 "Houses were flattened by repeated earthquakes, 13:36 and as terror spread, 13:38 the weak were trampled to death by the panic stricken." 13:43 The Roman writer, Seneca speaks of quakes 13:46 that took place in Asia, Achaea, Syria, and Macedonia. 13:52 In fact, Ellicot, the great commentator, 13:55 said this about this period between the death of Jesus 13:58 and the destruction of Jerusalem. 14:00 These are his words, 14:01 "Perhaps no period in world's history has ever been 14:06 so marked by these conditions, that is earthquakes, 14:09 as that which intervenes between the Crucifixion 14:12 and the destruction of Jerusalem." 14:16 Flavius Josephus says this about this period 14:20 and the supernatural phenomenon. 14:22 I quote, "There broke out a prodigious storm in the night, 14:27 with the utmost violence, and very strong winds, 14:31 with the largest showers of rain and continual lightnings, 14:35 terrible thunderings, and amazing concussions 14:40 and bellowings of the earth, that was in an earthquake." 14:44 In fact, Josephus as he observed all these signs 14:48 he reached the conclusion that these signs 14:51 must be indicating something terrible 14:53 that was gonna happen to Jerusalem. 14:55 These are his words. 14:57 "These things were a manifest indication 15:00 that some destruction was coming upon men, 15:04 when the system of the world was put into this disorder, 15:08 and anyone would guess that these wonders foreshadowed 15:12 some grand calamities that were coming." 15:16 Now there's a detail that's not mentioned in Matthew. 15:19 And I brought this out in our first study together 15:22 and that is, that there were also going to be troubles. 15:26 The word "troubles" describes social unrest. 15:30 Notice Mark 13:8. 15:33 Mark 13:8, there were be gonna troubles 15:35 and riots and tumult and civil unrest. 15:40 This is what Mark 13:8 says, 15:42 "For nation will rise against nation 15:44 and kingdom against kingdom. 15:47 And there will be earthquakes in various places, 15:50 and there will be famines." 15:51 And then it says what? 15:52 "And troubles. These are the beginnings of sorrows." 15:56 That word "troubles" is the same word 15:58 that is used to describe the mob that cried out, 16:01 "crucify Him, crucify Him." 16:04 You know, where there was more and more disorder 16:06 and more tumult among the crowd. 16:10 Now Josephus tells us that during this period 16:13 there was a great increase in messianic movements 16:16 in the Judean wilderness. 16:18 In fact, Josephus says that during the reign of Felix 16:23 that a succession of deceivers and impostors 16:27 fermented revolutionary changes 16:30 under the pretext of divine inspiration. 16:35 Ellen White vividly describes this period 16:38 in "Great Controversy," page 28 with these words. 16:42 "Satan aroused the fiercest 16:44 and most debased passions of the soul. 16:48 Men did not reason. 16:50 They were beyond reason-controlled by 16:52 impulse and blind rage. 16:55 They became satanic in their cruelty. 16:58 In the family and in the nation, 17:00 among the highest and the lowest classes alike, 17:04 there was suspicion, envy, hatred, 17:07 strife, rebellion, and murder. 17:09 There was no safety anywhere. 17:12 Friends and kindred betrayed one another. 17:15 Parents slew their children and children their parents." 17:21 Does this sound impressive, what was happening shortly 17:24 before the destruction of Jerusalem? 17:26 It's unbelievable and yet we need to understand 17:29 that this is going to occur again. 17:32 And is going to occur on a global scale 17:35 in the order in which we have studied these things. 17:39 And yet Jesus goes on to say, 17:41 "Don't worry, folks, 17:42 these are only the beginning of sorrows." 17:46 You say, "Wow. 17:47 If this is the beginning of sorrows what comes next?" 17:51 Well, the fact is that all of these calamities, 17:54 according to Matthew, were going to be blamed upon God's people. 18:00 Notice Matthew 24:9. 18:04 Immediately after all of these disasters 18:06 and when Jesus says, 18:07 "this is but the beginning of sorrows," 18:10 we find the hidden agenda of the devil causing these things. 18:14 It says there in Matthew 24:9, 18:16 "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation." 18:20 Is there a connection between the previous signs and this? 18:23 Yes, "Then they will deliver you up to tribulation 18:27 and kill you, and you will be hated 18:30 by all nations for My name's sake." 18:35 So all of these calamities are actually caused by Satan 18:39 with the intent that God's people 18:41 would be blamed for everything 18:43 that was happening in the natural world, 18:45 in society and in the political world 18:48 as well as in the religious world. 18:51 Between the death of Christ 18:52 and the destruction of Jerusalem 18:54 God's people were mercilessly persecuted. 18:58 For example, in Acts 5:41, 19:02 we find Peter and John being persecuted. 19:05 It says there in Acts 5:41, 19:07 "And they departed from the presence of the council, 19:10 rejoicing that they were counted worthy 19:13 to suffer shame for His name." 19:15 See, the shame is for the name of Jesus. 19:18 In Acts 8:1 we find reference to a great persecution. 19:22 It says there, "Now Saul was consenting to his death," 19:26 that is Stephen's death. 19:28 "At that time a great persecution arose 19:32 against the church which was at Jerusalem. 19:35 And they were all scattered throughout 19:37 the regions of Judea and Samaria, 19:39 except the apostles." 19:42 We all know about the persecutions 19:44 of Saul of Tarsus against the church of God. 19:47 By the way, Jesus had predicted this, 19:50 that many individuals would seek God's people to kill them 19:54 thinking that they were actually doing God a favor. 19:57 Do you remember the words of Caiaphas, 19:58 where Caiaphas says, 20:00 "It's necessary for one man to die 20:02 and not for the nation to disappear or to be destroyed?" 20:06 There he revealed that he thought 20:08 that Jesus was going to lead to the destruction of Jerusalem 20:12 and they needed to get rid of Jesus. 20:14 But by getting rid of Jesus, that eventually led to what? 20:19 That eventually led 20:21 to the destruction of the city of Jerusalem. 20:24 By the way, we know that Peter was crucified 20:30 and we know that Paul was beheaded. 20:33 Both of them because of their faith in Jesus Christ. 20:37 In John 16:1 and 2, Jesus predicted that 20:41 many of God's people will be persecuted 20:44 in the name of righteousness. 20:46 It says there, 20:47 "These things I have spoken to you, 20:50 that you should not be made to stumble. 20:53 They will put you out of the synagogues. 20:55 Yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you 20:59 will think that he offers God" what? 21:02 "That he offers God service." 21:05 Now you notice as we compare the Gospel of Mark, 21:09 that this persecution would lead God's people to be taken 21:13 before kings and rulers to witness for their faith. 21:17 In other words, the calamities would cause persecution 21:21 but the persecution would lead God's people 21:23 to be in the presence of kings and rulers 21:25 to testify before them. 21:27 Notice Mark 13:9, 21:32 "But watch out for yourselves, 21:34 for they will deliver you up to councils, 21:37 and you will be beaten in the synagogues. 21:39 You will be brought before rulers and kings for My sake, 21:45 for a testimony to them." 21:46 In other words, the persecution was meant to 21:49 get rid of God's people but by the persecution 21:52 actually God's people were led to give testimony 21:56 before the great political 21:57 and religious rulers of the world. 22:00 And thus it was that the Apostle Paul appeared before Felix. 22:05 Notice Acts 24:24 and 25. Acts 24:24 and 25. 22:13 It says, "And after some days, 22:15 when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, 22:17 who was Jewish, he sent for Paul 22:19 and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. 22:23 Now as he reasoned about righteousness, self-control, 22:26 and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and answered, 22:30 'Go away for now. 22:32 When I have a convenient time I will call for you.'" 22:35 Notice that he was shaken up by the message 22:38 that the Apostle Paul gave him. 22:40 The question is why was he shaken up? 22:42 The reason is very simple. 22:44 God gave Paul and Peter 22:47 and all those who appear before the kings 22:50 the gift of the Holy Spirit 22:51 so that they could witness with power. 22:54 Notice also the testimony of the appearance 22:57 of the Apostle Paul before King Agrippa. 22:59 Notice, for his faith he's appearing before the king. 23:02 It says in Acts 26:1-3, 23:07 "Then Agrippa said to Paul, 23:09 'You are permitted to speak for yourself.' 23:11 So Paul stretched out his hand and answered for himself. 23:15 I think myself happy, King Agrippa, 23:18 because today I shall answer for myself before you all 23:22 concerning the things of which I am accused by the Jews, 23:26 especially because you are an expert in all customs 23:30 and questions which have to do with the Jews. 23:34 Therefore I beg you to hear me patiently." 23:37 And we're told in the book Acts of the Apostles 23:39 that also King Agrippa shook at the testimony 23:44 that the Apostle Paul gave him. 23:46 And he even said 23:47 "almost persuadest thou me to be," what? 23:51 "To be a Christian." 23:52 We know also that the Apostle Paul 23:55 appeared before the Emperor Nero. 23:57 Now it was in God's providence that these calamities take place 24:02 and that persecution come so that God's people 24:05 could be in the courts of kings to witness for God. 24:08 And when the emergency came God gave His people wisdom 24:13 and the Holy Spirit to speak with power. 24:15 I want you to remember all of these things 24:17 because the pattern in the end time will be identical. 24:21 Notice Mark 13:11. Mark 13:11. 24:26 Notice how they receive the aid of the Holy Spirit. 24:30 And by the way, this is in the same sequence of Matthew 24. 24:34 "But when they arrest you and deliver you up, 24:37 do not worry beforehand, 24:39 or premeditate what you will speak. 24:41 But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that, 24:45 for it is not you who speak," 24:47 but whom? "But the Holy Spirit." 24:50 What did God give them the power of the Holy Spirit to speak? 24:54 Yes. Is this gonna happen in the end time also? 24:57 Is God gonna pour out His spirit so that God's people can speak 25:01 in the midst of huge persecutions? 25:03 Yes, I'm getting a little bit ahead of myself 25:05 but I want you to be thinking forwards, not only to history. 25:08 This is the foundation, this is the bases 25:11 for what we're gonna study in the future. 25:13 See, you can't know what's gonna happen in the future 25:15 unless you see the pattern as it occurred in the past. 25:18 Are you understanding what I'm saying? 25:20 Now notice Luke 21:14 and 15. 25:23 We find another example of this 25:25 and how God gives wisdom to speak in times of emergency. 25:29 Luke 21:14 and 15, "Therefore settle it in your hearts 25:36 not to meditate beforehand on what you will answer." 25:40 In other words, don't prepare your speech. 25:42 "For I will give you a mouth and wisdom 25:46 which all your adversaries will not be able 25:50 to contradict or resist." 25:52 Isn't that marvelous? 25:53 In other words, your wisdom which will be My wisdom 25:57 will be so powerful that no one will be able to contradict it. 26:02 We're also told that as a result of this testimony 26:05 which was given, God's people 26:08 would be hated with an even greater hatred than before. 26:12 In fact, we're told that Christians would be betrayed 26:17 by their own friends and by their own relatives. 26:20 Notice Mark 13:12. 26:22 I want you to remember this because in the end time 26:24 God's people are also gonna be hated 26:26 by their relatives and by their friends. 26:28 Mark 13:12, it says, 26:31 "Now brother will betray brother to death, 26:34 and a father his child. 26:36 And children will rise up against their parents 26:40 and cause them to be put to death." 26:42 You say this is impossible, Pastor Bohr, 26:44 that children would betray their parents to death. 26:47 That's exactly what happened. 26:48 And that's exactly what's gonna happen in the end time 26:51 as well to those who truly follow Jesus. 26:54 Notice also Matthew 10:34-37, Jesus had predicted this. 27:00 Matthew 10:34-37, Here Jesus says, 27:05 "Do not think that I came to bring peace on the earth. 27:09 I did not come to bring peace but a sword. 27:12 For I have come to set a man against his father, 27:16 a daughter against her mother, 27:18 and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. 27:21 And a man's enemies will be those of his own household." 27:26 You see, Jesus and His message brings division. 27:29 It brings hatred. 27:31 And God's people had to testify 27:33 in the midst of great opposition. 27:35 In the book "Desire of Ages," 27:37 page 629, we find this vivid description. 27:40 "Fathers and mothers betrayed their children. 27:44 Children betrayed their parents. 27:46 Friends delivered their friends up to the Sanhedrin. 27:50 The persecutors wrought out their purpose by killing 27:53 Stephen, James, and other Christians." 27:57 Now the next sign that's mentioned in Matthew 24 is 28:00 that when persecution came and God's people had to testify 28:05 many of God's people would be offended at Jesus 28:09 and would be shaken out. 28:11 There was gonna be a shaking in other words. 28:13 There were gonna be many who were in the faith 28:15 that would forsake the faith. 28:18 Notice Matthew 24:11. Matthew 24:11. 28:24 By the way, this is in the context of the persecution 28:27 that is mentioned in the previous verses. 28:29 It says, "And then," notice the word then. 28:32 "Because of the persecution then many will be," what? 28:37 "Will be offended." 28:38 In other words, they're gonna leave the faith. 28:40 Will be offended, will betray one another, 28:43 and will hate one another." 28:47 By the way, this happened in real cases 28:49 between the death of Jesus 28:50 and the destruction of Jerusalem. 28:52 You remember when the Apostle Paul 28:53 was in his second imprisonment in Rome 28:56 there was an individual who had embraced the faith. 28:59 His name was Demas. 29:00 And notice what the Apostle Paul had to say about Demas. 29:03 2 Timothy 4:10, "For Demas has forsaken me, 29:09 having loved this present world, 29:11 and has departed for Thessalonica." 29:14 In fact, the Apostle Paul says that 29:16 during his second imprisonment nobody was with him. 29:19 Everyone had forsaken him. 29:21 Notice 2 Timothy 4:16. 29:24 The Apostle Paul says, 29:26 "At my first defense no one stood with me, 29:29 but all forsook me. 29:31 May it not be charged against them." 29:34 Actually, the Apostle John had described this moment. 29:38 He described the case of many people 29:40 who were among God's people but were not part of God's people. 29:44 Notice 1 John 2:19. 1 John 2:19. 29:50 Here John says, "They went out from us, 29:53 but they were not of us, for if they had been of us, 29:57 they would have continued with us. 29:59 But they went out that they might be made manifest, 30:03 that none of them were of us." 30:07 Now in this context also Jesus predicted 30:10 that many false prophets will arise. 30:13 In fact, these false prophets 30:14 especially were those who told the people in Jerusalem, 30:18 "Don't worry, God is with us. 30:20 God is gonna deliver us from the Romans." 30:22 In fact, they preached, "Peace. Peace." 30:26 This is the same thing that the false prophets did 30:28 leading up to the destruction of the first Jerusalem 30:31 as we noticed in our previous study. 30:33 Matthew 24:11. 30:35 Notice what Jesus had to say about false prophets rising 30:39 and trying to get God's people 30:41 to abandon the faith and to follow them. 30:44 "Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many." 30:50 Ellen White, in her book, "Desire of Ages" 30:53 page 631 says this about the false prophets. 30:57 And I quote, "False prophets did rise, deceiving the people, 31:02 and leading great numbers into the desert. 31:06 Magicians and sorcerers, claiming miraculous power, 31:10 drew the people after them into the mountain solitudes." 31:14 By the way, in the end time 31:16 there are also gonna be false prophets. 31:18 We'll notice this when we study Matthew 24:23 and 24, 31:21 "False prophets will arise and they will deceive if possible," 31:25 Jesus said, "Even the very elect." 31:29 In "Great Controversy" page 29, Ellen White said this. 31:33 She said "The religious leaders 31:35 bribed false prophets to proclaim, 31:38 even while Roman legions were besieging the temple, 31:42 that the people were to wait for deliverance from God." 31:45 Even while the temple was being destroyed, 31:47 these false prophets were saying, 31:50 "We are going to be delivered by God." 31:53 And Flavius Josephus had this to say. 31:56 "Now it came to pass, while Fadus was procurator in Judea, 32:01 that a certain magician, whose name was Theudas, 32:04 persuaded a great part of the people 32:06 to take their effects with them, 32:08 and follow him to the river Jordan. 32:11 For he told them he was a prophet, and that he would, 32:14 by his own command, divide the river, 32:16 and afford them passage over it. 32:19 And many were deluded by his words." 32:23 By the way, the Book Acts-- the Book of Acts of the apostles 32:26 mentions one of these false prophets. 32:29 Acts 13:6 says this, 32:33 "Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, 32:37 they found a certain sorcerer, 32:39 a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus." 32:45 Peter also predicted false prophets during this period. 32:48 2 Peter 2:1, 32:52 "But there were also false prophets among the people, 32:54 even as there will be false teachers among you, 32:58 who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, 33:02 even denying the Lord who bought them, 33:04 and bringing on themselves swift destruction." 33:09 Jesus also spoke about 33:11 a tremendous increase in lawlessness 33:14 and He said that the love of many would grow cold. 33:18 Now it's interesting if the love was gonna grow cold, 33:21 it must mean that at one time they had love 33:22 and that the love was warm 33:24 because something can't grow cold unless it was warm before. 33:27 And it's because of the increase in lawlessness 33:30 that the love grows cold. 33:32 In fact, notice Matthew 24:12, 33:36 "And because lawlessness will abound, 33:39 the love of many will grow cold." 33:43 And so now Jesus calls for endurance. 33:45 The Lord Jesus says, "You're going to need endurance, 33:48 mainly for three reasons." 33:49 Because according to the context there has been persecution. 33:53 There has been deception. 33:55 And there has been a love growing cold. 33:58 And so Jesus is gonna say, 33:59 "Now if you're gonna remain firm, 34:01 you're going to need patience or endurance." 34:05 You can't allow persecution. 34:07 You can't allow deception. 34:09 And you can't allow your love to grow cold. 34:13 Let me ask you, does the Book of Revelation 34:15 speak about a special patience or endurance 34:18 that God's people are gonna need in the end time 34:20 in order not to be deceived, 34:22 in order for their love to stay hot, 34:24 in order for them to withstand persecution when it arises? 34:29 You know that text. 34:30 Here is the patience of the saints. 34:32 Here are they who keep the commandments of God 34:34 and the faith of Jesus. 34:38 So Jesus calls for endurance. 34:41 In fact, in Luke 21:19 we find a parallel passage. 34:47 Luke says, "By your patience posses your souls." 34:53 And then comes a very important sign. 34:56 It's found in Matthew 24:14, 35:00 and probably you've read this verse. 35:01 You can recite it from memory. 35:03 "And this gospel of the kingdom 35:06 will be preached in all the world 35:08 as a witness to all the nations and then the end will come." 35:14 In others words, God's people will preach the message 35:16 and the message will reach 35:18 every corner of the world at that time. 35:22 Now the word "world" that is used here 35:24 is not the common word for world. 35:26 You know, you have the word "cosmos" 35:28 which refers to the planet itself. 35:31 You have also the word "ion" 35:33 which refers to the world in its temporal composition. 35:36 The word here is "oikumene." 35:38 It refers to the inhabited world. 35:41 In other words, when it says 35:42 and this gospel of the kingdom 35:43 will be preached in all the world 35:45 it's speaking about the inhabitants of the world. 35:47 Now let me ask you the question. 35:48 Was the gospel preached to the whole world 35:50 in apostolic times before the destruction of Jerusalem? 35:53 Yes, it was. 35:55 Notice Colossians 1:23. Colossians 1:23. 36:00 "If indeed you continue in the faith, 36:04 grounded and steadfast and are not moved away 36:08 from the hope of the gospel which you heard." 36:11 Now notice this, the Apostle Paul is speaking. 36:13 He says, "Which was preached to every creature under heaven, 36:19 of which I, Paul, became a minister." 36:23 So did the gospel go to every creature 36:26 before the destruction of Jerusalem? Yes. 36:28 Is it going to go to the whole world at the end of time? 36:31 Yes, it is. Notice Romans 1:8. 36:34 Romans 1:8 repeats the same idea 36:37 that the gospel went to the whole world. 36:40 Here the Apostle Paul says, 36:42 "First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, 36:45 that your faith is spoken of," where? 36:48 "Throughout the whole world." 36:52 Now we've come to the point that we want to dedicate 36:55 most of our study to and that is Matthew 24:15. 37:01 Have you noticed all of the preliminary things 37:03 that are taking place here? 37:04 Have you gathered the sequence of events 37:07 that are taking place here? 37:08 You have all of these disasters. 37:10 These disasters lead to what? 37:13 They lead to persecution. 37:14 God's people witness. 37:16 God gives them the power of His Holy Spirit to witness. 37:19 He gives them a wisdom which cannot be withstood. 37:23 They preach the gospel to the whole world. 37:26 False prophets and deceivers arise. 37:28 Many are offended. 37:30 Many drop away from the faith. 37:32 Does this scenario sound similar to something 37:35 that you've heard about the end time? 37:36 You know, it is a blueprint 37:38 of what is going to take place in the end time 37:41 as we'll notice in our next studies. 37:43 Now we want to deal with "The Abomination of Desolation." 37:46 It's mentioned in Matthew 24:15. 37:49 Go with me there, Matthew 24:15. 37:52 And we touched upon this in our previous lecture. 37:56 It says here, "Therefore when you see." 38:00 Is the abomination something that can be seen? 38:03 According to this, yes. 38:05 "When you see the 'abomination of desolation,' 38:09 spoken of by," whom? 38:11 "By Daniel the prophet, standing," where? 38:14 "In the holy place whoever reads let him understand." 38:18 Four things that I want us to know it's here. 38:19 First of all, it could be seen. 38:21 Secondly, it's called the abomination of desolation. 38:24 Third, it was spoken of by Daniel. 38:26 And fourth, it stands in the holy place. 38:29 Now where do we need to go 38:30 to know what this abomination of desolation is? 38:33 Obviously, we would have to go back to Daniel 38:36 because it was spoken of by Daniel, the prophet. 38:39 Now do you remember in our last lecture 38:40 that we studied about how Daniel predicted 38:43 that Jerusalem would be destroyed a second time? 38:46 How it was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar 38:48 but after 70 years, there were promises 38:50 that God's people were gonna return. 38:52 They were gonna rebuild the temple. 38:54 They were gonna rebuild the city. 38:55 They were gonna rebuild the walls. 38:56 And God was gonna give them another chance. 38:59 Another chance to obey His voice 39:01 and follow His covenant, you remember that? 39:04 But also we noticed at the end of Daniel 9 39:07 that Jerusalem was going to be destroyed a what? 39:10 A second time. Let's read that. 39:12 Daniel 9:26, 27, the famous prophecy of the 70 weeks. 39:18 It says, "And after the 62 weeks Messiah shall be cut off, 39:23 but not for Himself, and the people of the prince 39:26 who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary." 39:29 Was Jerusalem gonna be destroyed again according to this? 39:31 Absolutely. 39:32 "The end of it shall be with a flood, 39:36 and till the end of the war," what? 39:40 What's the word there? 39:41 "Desolations are determined." 39:44 Verse 27, "Then he shall confirm a covenant with many for 1 week, 39:48 but in the middle of the week 39:49 He shall bring an end to sacrifice and offering." 39:53 And notice what the result is. 39:54 "And on the wing of," what? 39:57 "Abominations shall be one who makes," there's the word again, 40:01 "desolate, even until the consummation, 40:03 which is determined, is poured out upon the," what? 40:07 "Desolate." 40:09 Did you notice the number of times that the word 40:10 abomination and desolate are used in these verses? 40:13 Is this referring to what was gonna happen with Jerusalem 40:16 when it was going to be destroyed the second time? 40:18 Absolutely. 40:20 Abomination would lead to what? 40:22 Would lead to desolation. 40:24 But the question is what was this abomination 40:27 that led to desolation? 40:29 Well, Luke 21:20 gives us the explanation and the answer. 40:34 That's why it's nice to have more than one gospel. 40:37 Luke 21:20. 40:42 Here Luke expresses it in a different way. 40:45 "But when you see." 40:46 Was that in Matthew, seeing? Yes. 40:49 "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by," what? "Armies." 40:55 What is the abomination then? 40:58 Is Jerusalem, what? "Surrounded by armies." 41:01 So they could see. 41:03 When they saw the abomination of desolation which was, what? 41:06 "The surrounding of Jerusalem by armies 41:11 then know that its," what? 41:13 "Then its desolation is near." 41:17 So let me ask you, was the abomination 41:20 set up inside the city or outside the city? 41:24 It was outside. 41:25 It was where the Roman armies were. 41:27 When you see armies surrounding Jerusalem 41:31 which is the abomination, you can know that the desolation 41:34 of the city of Jerusalem is near. 41:39 Now the question is what is it that these armies had 41:43 that could be called an abomination? 41:47 The fact is folks that were told by Josephus 41:52 as well as other historians that what the people in the city saw 41:58 was the Romans coming and placing their standards 42:02 in the ground as they surrounded the city of Jerusalem. 42:06 And then they bowed 42:08 and they worshipped the standards 42:11 that they carried in front of their legions. 42:15 In other words, they worship them. 42:17 Saying that the--being that was represented by the standards 42:23 was actually going to give them the victory 42:26 over the city of Jerusalem. 42:29 Now allow me to read you from Luke 19:41 to 44, 42:33 how Jerusalem was going to be destroyed 42:36 because of their rejection of the Messiah. 42:40 Luke 19:41 to 44. 42:42 It says, "Now as He drew near," Jesus that is, 42:46 "He saw the city and wept over it, saying, 42:49 'If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, 42:54 the things that make for your peace. 42:56 But now they are hidden from your eyes. 42:59 For days will come upon you 43:02 when your enemies will build an embankment around you, 43:06 surround you and close you in on every side.'" 43:09 Is that the same surrounding of Jerusalem in Luke 21? Yes. 43:13 Verse 44, "And level you, 43:16 and your children within you, to the ground, 43:19 and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, 43:23 because you did not know the time of your visitation." 43:29 Now you say what did those standards have on them? 43:33 Here we're reaching a very important point in our study 43:35 that we need to remember because in our next lecture, 43:38 we're gonna come back to this in the context of the end time. 43:41 "Great Controversy" page 26, we find this description 43:44 and then I'm going to read you 43:46 a statement a little bit later on from Josephus. 43:49 Ellen White says this, 43:51 "When the idolatrous standards of the Romans 43:56 should be set up in the holy ground, 43:59 which extended some furlongs outside the city walls, 44:06 then the followers of Christ were to find safety in flight. 44:11 When the warning sign should be seen, 44:14 those who would escape must make no delay." 44:20 What was it that they saw in the standards? 44:22 An ego. Interesting. 44:26 She says, "When the idolatrous standards of the Romans." 44:29 In fact, "Great Controversy" page 41, 44:31 she speaks about these standards. 44:32 And she says, "The gospel penetrated into the regions 44:36 that were inaccessible, even to the eagles of Rome." 44:42 What was the ensign that Nebuchadnezzar had 44:44 when he came to destroy Jerusalem in the Old Testament? 44:46 Do you remember? It was an eagle. 44:49 Now you have a new general, pagan general, 44:51 who's coming also with what? 44:53 With eagles for the second destruction of Jerusalem. 44:57 Now allow me to give you a little history 44:59 about the Roman standard with the eagle 45:01 and tell you a little about it. 45:04 Italia 104 B.C., 45:07 the Romans had many different animals on their standards. 45:11 You know, some standards had bulls or snakes or lions 45:15 or vultures, many different kinds of animals. 45:17 But after the year 104 B.C., they standardized it 45:22 and all of the Roman legions had eagles on their standards. 45:26 In fact, in the year 63, 45:29 the Great Roman General Pompey deified the standards. 45:33 In other words, he made the standard 45:37 represent the God that was on the standard. 45:41 And by the way, that God was the sun god Mithra. 45:44 It was the same god that was worshiped 45:47 by Constantine the Great 45:50 both before and after he became a Christian. 45:54 Now the interesting thing is 45:55 that if you look at the Roman standard 45:57 and in the DVD presentation 45:59 there's going to be an illustration of it. 46:01 You'll find an eagle on the standard. 46:04 And the eagle is facing right. 46:06 The head of the eagle is facing right. 46:08 The wings of the eagle are outstretched. 46:12 And surrounding the eagle 46:13 is a circular wreath which is golden. 46:19 In other words, it is a golden wreath round. 46:24 In the talons of the eagle it has arrows. 46:29 Now that's interesting. 46:31 You have an eagle facing right, it has around it a golden wreath 46:36 which by the way represents the orb of the sun. 46:40 And then you have the eagle with arrows in its talons. 46:48 Now why is this important? 46:50 Because we're gonna notice it later on in history 46:52 there's another nation represented by an eagle 46:55 who's gonna do something relating to the sun. 46:59 And as a result this abomination 47:02 will ultimately lead to desolation, 47:05 not of Jerusalem but of the whole world. 47:08 Notice what Josephus had to say about the Romans standards. 47:11 He said, "Then came the ensigns encompassing the eagle which," 47:17 he says this, "The eagle, 47:19 which is at the head of every Roman legion." 47:24 What was at the head of every Roman legion? The eagle. 47:29 "The king and the strongest of all birds, which seems to them," 47:34 that is to the Romans, "a signal of dominion, 47:38 and an omen that they shall conquer 47:41 all against whom they march." 47:44 By the way, do you know that 47:45 Peter referred to Rome as Babylon? 47:50 Rome was the new Babylon. 47:51 Notice 1 Peter 5:13. 47:55 Actually we won't read that. 47:56 Well, let's do read it. 47:58 1 Peter 5:13. 48:02 Here Peter says, "She who is in Babylon." 48:08 By this time Babylon had been destroyed, the literal Babylon. 48:11 "She who is in Babylon, elect together with you, 48:16 greets you, and so does Mark my son." 48:19 Practically every scholar agrees 48:21 that when Peter speaks here of Babylon, 48:24 he's cryptically speaking about Rome, 48:27 because Rome is the new Babylon. 48:29 And so you have the new Babylon with the eagle ensigns 48:33 coming against the seed of Jerusalem. 48:36 By the way, the gospel of Matthew 48:39 actually mentions the eagles. 48:41 Have you ever read Matthew 24:28, where it says, 48:46 "Where the eagles are, there will the carcasses be found." 48:51 In other words, the eagles are actually mentioned 48:54 in Matthew 24:28, the eagles of Rome. 48:58 But you'll say, "Okay, 49:00 so the Christians that were inside the city, 49:02 they would see this sign of the Romans 49:04 bringing their standards with the eagle and the sun on it 49:07 represented the sun god Mithra 49:09 and they would worship the sun god Mithra. 49:12 And they would see this sign but how could they escape 49:16 if the city of Jerusalem was surrounded by the Roman armies? 49:20 Well, the fact is by a miracle of God 49:23 there was a temporary retreat by the General Cestius. 49:27 Allow me to read you from "Great Controversy" page 30 49:30 and then I'm gonna read from Josephus 49:31 because Ellen White is simply referring here to Josephus. 49:36 "Great Controversy" page 30, Ellen White says, 49:38 "After the Romans under Cestius had surrounded the city, 49:42 they unexpectedly abandoned the siege 49:46 when everything seemed favorable for an immediate attack. 49:50 The besieged, despairing of successful resistance, 49:54 were on the point of surrender." 49:56 In other words, the Jews were at the point of surrender 49:57 "When the Roman general withdrew his forces, 50:00 without the least apparent reason." 50:04 Flavius Josephus adds, 50:07 "Without having received any disgrace 50:10 Cestius retired from the city 50:13 without any reason in the world." 50:17 And of course, the Jews pursued the Roman armies who had left. 50:21 They said, "This is the sign of God." 50:22 The false prophets said, "See, we told you 50:24 that God was going to perform a miracle 50:26 and that the Romans were gonna leave." 50:28 They pursued them. And they killed many of the Romans. 50:30 Why did the Romans flee? 50:33 Till this day it's a mystery except for the fact 50:36 that we know that Jesus had said in Matthew 50:39 that there was going to be a sign. 50:40 And when His people saw the sign they should flee from the city. 50:44 But how could they flee 50:45 if the Roman armies surrounded the city? 50:48 The Roman armies had to leave so that God's people could flee. 50:52 And then, by the way, the Roman armies came back 50:56 and they did not retreat again. 50:59 And everyone who stayed in the city, 51:02 who did not flee from the city, 51:04 was destroyed in the city of Jerusalem. 51:08 In fact, Josephus tells us that approximately 1.1 million Jews 51:14 were crucified outside the city of Jerusalem. 51:18 But we're told by the spirit of prophecy 51:20 that not one Christian perished in the destruction of Jerusalem 51:26 because they had seen the eagle and the sun 51:30 and the warship of the Roman armies. 51:32 They had seen the abomination. 51:34 They knew desolation was coming because of that. 51:37 And therefore when the Roman armies retreated, 51:40 they picked up and they left. 51:42 And therefore when the Roman armies came back, 51:46 they were safe and sound. 51:48 In fact, after this they actually fled to the mountains. 51:53 Have you ever studied before that there's gonna come a time 51:57 when in a certain country whose emblem is the eagle, 52:01 having something to do with the sun, 52:03 that a decree is gonna be given against them 52:06 and they're gonna have to flee to the mountains? 52:08 Have you ever heard anything like that? 52:11 Where did Ellen White get such an idea from? 52:13 Preposterous, right? Not preposterous. 52:16 It's typology. What happened will happen. 52:20 And we're gonna study this in our next lecture. 52:22 In fact, notice Matthew 24:16-18. 52:26 Immediately after the abomination of desolation 52:29 is put up when the eagle and the sun is worshiped. 52:34 Immediatel it says, 52:35 "Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 52:38 Let him who is on the housetop 52:40 not go down to take anything out of his house. 52:43 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes." 52:48 In "Great Controversy," page 30 we find these words, 52:51 "But God's merciful providence was directing events 52:55 for the good of His own people. 52:56 The promised sign had been given to the waiting Christians 53:01 and now an opportunity was afforded for all who would, 53:06 to obey the Savior's warning." 53:08 Let me ask you, is it important to watch the signs? 53:11 Only those who watched the sign escaped from the city. 53:16 There are some people today saying, 53:17 "Oh, I'm not interested in what's coming. 53:20 I'm only interested in who's coming." 53:22 Well, let me tell you if you're only interested in who's coming 53:26 and not what's coming, you're going to accept the wrong who. 53:30 I can assure you that because the signs are necessary 53:34 so that we will not be deceived. 53:36 Jesus started this sermon by saying, 53:39 "I give this to you so that you will not be," what? 53:42 "So that you will not be deceived." 53:47 By the way, how many groups in the city of Jerusalem? Two. 53:54 Was there a separation before the destruction? 53:57 Yes, there was. 53:58 Was there a separation 53:59 before the destruction in the Old Testament story? 54:02 Was there a sign placed upon God's people? Absolutely. 54:05 Were they spared when the destruction came? Yes. 54:08 Also with the second destruction of Jerusalem, the same happened. 54:14 Ellen White says in "Great Controversy" page 30, 54:17 "Not one Christian perished in the destruction of Jerusalem." 54:24 Isn't that interesting? Not one Christian perished. 54:27 They were all sealed, 54:30 marked by God as His people and they escaped. 54:33 They came out. 54:35 And therefore, they were spared. 54:38 In fact, Josephus describing the destruction of the city 54:41 had this to say, "The misfortunes of all men, 54:47 from the beginning of the world." 54:50 He's almost quoting Jesus. 54:51 "From the beginning of the world, 54:54 if they be compared to these of the Jews 54:57 are not considerable as they were." 55:00 Now this was the worst calamity 55:02 since the beginning of the world is what Josephus is saying. 55:06 Now I want you to notice one final thing in closing. 55:11 Do you know that all of those who fled from Jerusalem 55:15 kept a very special day? 55:19 You say, "They did?" 55:21 Was the Sabbath involved 55:23 in the destruction of Jerusalem in the Old Testament? 55:26 Those who were spared were they Sabbath keepers? 55:28 Was the city destroyed 55:29 because it did not keep the Sabbath? 55:32 Yes. You say, "oh, but the Jews, they kept the Sabbath." 55:34 Yeah, they kept a counterfeit Sabbath. 55:36 They kept their own Sabbath that the Pharisees had created. 55:40 But it wasn't God's Sabbath. 55:41 It was a counterfeit Sabbath. 55:43 But God had a people who kept the true Sabbath of the Bible. 55:48 In fact, notice Matthew 24:20, 55:51 Jesus is speaking about the destruction of the city. 55:55 And He says to His followers when they see the sign 55:58 and they have to flee. 56:00 He says, "And pray that your flight 56:03 may not be in winter or on the Sabbath." 56:10 Do you think that might be true in the end time also? 56:13 Pray that your flight may not be in winter 56:16 because it will be very cold or on the Sabbath? 56:18 Are God's end time people going to be Sabbath keepers? 56:22 What about all the rest? 56:23 What was the other sign? 56:26 An eagle with what? With the sun. 56:30 And people worshipping the eagle, sun god, 56:33 the abomination that led to desolation. 56:36 By the way, national apostasy 56:40 on the part of Israel led to what? 56:44 To national ruin. 56:46 In other words, the abomination led to desolation. 56:52 Is what we've studied clear this evening? 56:55 Is it vitally important for us to understand history 56:59 in order to understand what's gonna happen in prophecy? 57:02 Yes. Because this prophecy has a twofold fulfillment. 57:07 Two questions were asked by the disciples. 57:10 What will be the sign of these things happening 57:12 and also the sign of your coming and the end of the world? 57:16 In our next study we're going to take a look 57:19 at the fulfillment of this in the future. 57:22 The parallel is amazing. 57:25 And I pray to God 57:26 that we will all be prepared for what will come. |
Revised 2014-12-17