Luke 21: 5 – 7
Do You See What I See?
5 Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, 6 “These things which you see—the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down.”7 So they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, but when will these things be? And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?”
Do you notice something familiar with this chapter? If you said it reminds you of the Gospel of Matthew chapter 24 you win a cookie. This Scripture is probably one of the most interesting chapters in the entire bible because it covers so many future things. There are certain ‘end times’ prophecies that arouse our interests such as a new Temple, The Antichrist, The Great Tribulation, The Rapture, and the 2nd Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew wrote this, “ 1 Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” 3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
We are going to do something unique in our review of this awesome chapter. It has 51 verses so it would be a waste of our time to just try to skip through it in one study. We are going to follow the chapter verse by verse. However, when our Lord brings up a key point such as a possible new Temple, we will take some time to talk about this significantly interesting situation. Most likely it will result in a detour of working through the chapter, but we will get back on track, I promise you.
5 Then, as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with beautiful stones and donations, He said, 6 “These things which you see—the days will come in which not one stone shall be left upon another that shall not be thrown down.”
To bring us up to speed on what has been transpiring so far, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ had just given a major lecture in the Temple. He and His disciples were leaving the Temple complex and one commented about how magnificent the Glorious Temple was.
As you know this was not the first Temple that the Jews constructed. The first Temple was built under the leadership of King Solomon. It was finished around 759 BC. A couple of hundred years later around 586 BC the Babylonians’ destroyed it.
The Israelites were taken as captives back to Babylon. Our Lord had pronounced a 70 year punishment on the Jews because they had refused to obey His orders. You see the Lord wanted them to trust Him as He still does for us to do today. To show what a True and Faithful God He Is, He challenged them to do some unique things as recorded in the book of Leviticus chapter 25.
“1 And the LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall keep a Sabbath to the LORD. 3 Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruit; 4 but in the seventh year there shall be a Sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a Sabbath to the LORD. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard. 5 What grows of its own accord of your harvest you shall not reap, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine, for it is a year of rest for the land. 6 And the Sabbath produce of the land shall be food for you: for you, your male and female servants, your hired man, and the stranger who dwells with you, 7 for your livestock and the beasts that are in your land—all its produce shall be for food. 8 ‘And you shall count seven Sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years; and the time of the seven Sabbaths of years shall be to you forty-nine years. 9 Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement you shall make the trumpet to sound throughout all your land. 10 And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you; and each of you shall return to his possession, and each of you shall return to his family. 11 That fiftieth year shall be a Jubilee to you; in it you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of its own accord, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine. 12 For it is the Jubilee; it shall be holy to you; you shall eat its produce from the field. 13 ‘In this Year of Jubilee, each of you shall return to his possession. 14 And if you sell anything to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor’s hand, you shall not oppress one another. 15 According to the number of years after the Jubilee you shall buy from your neighbor, and according to the number of years of crops he shall sell to you. 16 According to the multitude of years you shall increase its price, and according to the fewer number of years you shall diminish its price; for he sells to you according to the number of the years of the crops. 17 Therefore you shall not oppress one another, but you shall fear your God; for I am the LORD your God. 18 ‘So you shall observe My statutes and keep My judgments, and perform them; and you will dwell in the land in safety. 19 Then the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill, and dwell there in safety. 20 ‘And if you say, “What shall we eat in the seventh year, since we shall not sow nor gather in our produce?” 21 Then I will command My blessing on you in the sixth year, and it will bring forth produce enough for three years. 22 And you shall sow in the eighth year, and eat old produce until the ninth year; until its produce comes in, you shall eat of the old harvest. 23 ‘The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with Me. 24 And in all the land of your possession you shall grant redemption of the land.”
This turned out to be a great time of testing for the Israelites, will they trust God to do what He promised, or do they need to take matters into their own hands? What do you think they did? If you say that they took matters into their own hands, you are correct. You win a cookie. The people ignored God’s mandate and still farmed the land during the ‘years of rest’. Our Holy Lord put up with this refusal to obey Him for 490 years. So, for refusing to obey for each of the 70 seven year periods the Lord would give back to the land rest which the Jews refused to do.
If you read the book of Haggai which is only two chapters long, you see the love, mercy and compassion of our Great God. Sure the Israelites would have to serve the 70 year exile sentence, yet you will find how Merciful He was. You see our Precious Holy Lord had allowed the Jews under the leadership of Ezra as leader and priest, then later with Joshua as priest and Zerubbabel as Governor to rebuild the Temple. And, if you do the math, at the end of the 70 years of imposed discipline, the Jews finished the Temple and immediately were worshiping the Lord in His home.
You know that today the Jews are back in the land that God had set apart for them. Do you think that they honor today this rule towards giving the land rest? If you said yes, give back the cookie, you are wrong. To get around this command the Jewish farmers lease out their land on the ‘rest year’ so it can be farmed by non-Jewish tenants. I do not think our Lord Is please with this half hearted type of compliance.
Now we fast forward to around 20 BC when an Edomite by the name of Herod the Great was appointed king of Israel by Rome. He began to lavishly renovate the 2nd Temple and it was still a work in process during the Lord Jesus’ lifetime here on earth. This massive renovation was finished in 64 AD. What’s amazing to me is that after all these years of construction it only lasted 6 years when it was totally destroyed by the Roman army. The devastation was so complete that truly not one original stone was on top of another.
So, now in chapter 24 of Matthew the disciples commented to the Lord how beautiful the Temple was. This caused our Lord to remark about its future destruction. Picture with me the disciples shock to the Lord’s words. Their whole life was centered on the Temple worship and now they hear that it is going to be destroyed in a few years.
Many people miss this next direct act by our Awesome Lord. He sits on the Mount of Olives which is the very place where the prophet Zechariah in chapter 14 had predicted that the Messiah would stand when He would come to establish His kingdom.
Zechariah 14, “ 4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, from east to west, making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north and half of it toward the south.”
Can you now see why the disciples asked these questions of our Lord Jesus Christ? They knew at this point that He was the Messiah, so they wanted to know when He would come in His Power and what would then happen.
”7 So they asked Him, saying, “Teacher, but when will these things be? And what sign will there be when these things are about to take place?”
I want us all to take a hared look at the questions that were asked our Lord. I want to ask you this, ‘Did the disciples ask two questions or three’? You might not think that this in no big deal, but as we see the possible differences then you will see some startling outcomes.
First of all let’s say there are three questions asked, and then they would be;
1. Tell us, when will these things be?
2. What will be the sign of your Coming?
3. [what or when will be] the end of the age?
Please note in order to make sense in deriving three questions, you have to add verbiage to the Scripture. In the book of Revelation chapter 22 we read, “18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.” I do not think we need to add things to the bible in order to interpret it.
If there are two questions asked then they would be as follows;
1. Tell us, when will these things be?
2. And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
Please note that at the beginning of our Lord’s comments, He first warns them about what? ‘Watch out that no one deceives you.’ What does He say again in verse 11, “and deceive many.” Take a look at verse 24, “to deceive, if possible, even the elect.” Wow, our Lord wants to get across to us the possibility of being deceived. This point from our Master is such an important issues of His that He keeps saying throughout His response to them the possibility of deceit creeping into His remarks in the future.
Have you picked up anything significant between the two possibilities of interpretation of verse 3? Here is one you might not have thought of. By breaking down the disciples questions to our Lord into three questions they now allow the possibility of a new idea, which has been taught in many pulpits as the ‘Rapture’.
People who adhere to a ‘Rapture’ of believers use this point as one of the proofs that our Lord will come back to earth and then there is a ‘gap’ before the end of the world. Their thinking goes like this. Our Lord Jesus will come back outside of earth and call out His church from this world. In an instance, in the twinkling of an eye, believers will disappear and meet the Lord in space. Then He will take back all us believers to Heaven for a period of 7 years for a party. On earth, however, all hell will break out which will be the Great Tribulation. After 7 years He will come back officially as His 2nd Coming. He will then judge the goats and sheep [these are now new believers who were not in the original Rapture]. Then those who are still alive will go into the Millennium.
In the book of 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, we read this,” 9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”
It is not heresy to disagree with the Rapture position. It does not go against the truth that our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ Is coming back to earth a second time.
However, what if we come to learn through what God’s Word reveals that this idea is a fabrication of biblical truth. Would it not be qualified as a ‘strong delusion’ that bible teachers and Pastors have incorrectly been feeding their sheep. Would it not qualify in the warning that our Lord and Savior gave to us as listed in the book of Revelation chapter 22 which states, “18 For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book” Would accepting this theory as fact and teaching this theory to our Lord’s flock be liable as adding to God’s word. I know I do not want to mess around with what my Supreme Holy Ruler says. So, with this powerful challenge let us begin.
Since I used the Scripture of 2 Thessalonians chapter 2 and highlight the term – ‘Strong Delusion’, it would be good for us to understand what this word means. In life we read a lot of things and sometimes take for granted that we know what the word means. So what does out favorite dictionary say about a ‘delusion’.
1a. The act or process of deluding.
b. The state of being deluded.
2. A false belief or opinion:
3. Psychiatry A false belief strongly held in spite of invalidating evidence, especially as a symptom of mental illness:
So what do you think it means when our Lord says that He will send a ‘strong delusion’. You do not have to be a brain surgeon to know that what is listed above as ‘delusion’ is greatly intensified.
If you are a new believer in our Great and Wonderful Lord and Savior Jesus Christ forgive me for getting into this dialogue. Yet I do believe that you need to be informed about what is circulating out in Christian circles. I have come to understand the amazing grace it took our Savior to get us ‘Saved’. We live in a cursed world. Before our feet step out of bed we fight the world, the flesh, and the devil. Our Faithful Lord broke through these tough sinful defenses and revealed Himself to us. Thank you Lord. Then once we are ‘Saved’ we aren’t able to kick back. We are now exposed to every wacky religious cult and dead organization out there. So, how can you be sure what is true? The answer is – God’s word is true. Don’t trust me or any other teacher. Check everything out yourselves from God’s Word. People were complemented by the Holy Spirit in the book of Acts because they did just this. Look at what it said in chapter 17, “10 Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews. 11 These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.”
So, the description of the Rapture teaches that all believers in the Lord Jesus Christ who are alive will be physically removed from this earth. To the naked eye they will vanish. These people will instantly be beamed wherever they are up to meet the Lord Jesus Who Is positioned somewhere above the earth.
Now to add confusion great theological scholars cannot come up with the same conclusions. Some biblical experts say that this event will occur before what the bible calls the Great Tribulation. People who accept this position are called Pre-Tribulation Rapture or Pre-Tribers. Since many biblical scholars have come up with the idea that the Tribulation will be a period of 7 years some have taken a position that believers will be ‘Raptured’ halfway into the 7 years or after 3 and ½ years after the Great Tribulation begins. Those who hold this position are called Mid-Tribers. Lastly, there are those who take up a position that all believers will have to go through the whole seven years of the Great Tribulation and then be ‘Raptured’ out. They are referred to as Post Tribers.
Does this sound a tad bit confusing? Again forgive us for getting into this stupid worthless debate. The book of 1 Corinthians chapter 14 says about our Precious Holy Spirit this, “33 For God is not the author of confusion but of peace, as in all the churches of the saints.’
In all truth the doctrine of a ‘Rapture’ is the most divisive of modern day positions.
Where did the idea of the ‘Rapture’ came from. You will be quite amazed that this is a modern day discovery.
This idea was birthed back in the 1800’s. Here is what I discovered.
In early 1830, Margaret McDonald, a 15 year old Scottish Girl had visions [we’re in trouble now, one girl has a ‘vision’ which will set church policy. I thought the bible was complete. Haven’t the Mormons and Jehovah Witnesses been correctly labeled as cults for their visions?] that included a Secret Rapture of believers before the appearance of the Antichrist. A viewpoint that we will discuss later is that the Roman Catholic Church had put forth a Counter Reformation to the Protestant Reformation that in the future one man would be the epitome of all evil and be called the Antichrist.
Edward Irving (1792-1834) her Scottish Presbyterian pastor and forerunner of the Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, attended prophecy conferences that began in Dublin Ireland in that same year, 1830, at Powerscourt Castle. There he promoted the doctrine of the Secret Rapture.
John Nelson Darby (1800-1882), a minister of the Church of Ireland, who later became a member of the Plymouth Brethren, also promoted a Secret Rapture after attending the same Powerscourt Bible Prophecy meeting in 1830 where he learned of Margaret McDonald's vision. He visited Margaret McDonald at her home in Port Glasgow, Scotland, and then later visited America several times where his Secret Rapture theology was quite well accepted.
As there was no Christian teaching of a “rapture” before Darby began preaching about it in the 1830s, he is sometimes credited with originating the "secret rapture" theory wherein Christ will suddenly remove His bride, the Church, from this world before the judgments of the tribulation.
The writings of John Darby greatly influenced Cyrus Scofield (1843-1921) who incorporated this doctrine in the notes of his Scofield Reference Bible, first published by Oxford University Press in 1909. One million copies were printed by 1930, firmly establishing this Futurist interpretation in the Bible schools and denominations of the United States in the 20th Century.
The beliefs Darby disseminated were then propagated with Scofield’s Reference Bible at such places as Dallas Theological Seminary and Bob Jones University and by authors and preachers such as Hal Lindsey who wrote a best seller called ‘The Late Great Planet Earth. and Tim LaHaye who I am sure you know, became a huge success co-authoring his ‘Left Behind’ stories.
Can you see how this idea was adopted and thereby infiltrated into our churches’
Yet, before we end I want you to see right away that from God’s word that this doctrine is false.
Can you now stop and think with me for a moment. It took mankind one thousand eight hundred years to understand a new fact. Do you actually think our Lord would hold out on all the saints for 18 centuries of this significant happening?
Please take time to look at the whole chapter 24. At any time do you see the disciples thinking our Lord is coming back in two stages? Is there any reference from our Lord that He Is coming back to the earth in two stages?
What do false prophets principally teach? - Health and wealth messages. ‘Don’t worry’, they say, ‘You do not have to worry about Tribulations. The Lord Is going to remove us before it all comes down.’
When you review chapter 24 our Lord Is very concerned that we, His children, are not deceived. He Is more interested in us being prepared, than letting us know the time and dates.
I have observed that many people are so hooked up in the ‘Rapture’ idea that they do not share their faith. In their minds they got their tickets to Heaven. And besides, their spiritual leaders are assuring them that they are not going through any tribulations. Oh, really? What do we tell the saints who live in Japan and in other parts of the world that are dying for their faith. Look at these Scripture verses;
John 16, “33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Acts 14, “22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, exhorting them to continue in the faith, and saying, “We must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God.”
Romans 5, “3 And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance.”
Romans 8, “35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?”
Romans 12, “12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer”
1 Thessalonians 3, “3 that no one should be shaken by these afflictions; for you yourselves know that we are appointed to this. 4 For, in fact, we told you before when we were with you that we would suffer tribulation, just as it happened, and you know. 5 For this reason, when I could no longer endure it, I sent to know your faith, lest by some means the tempter had tempted you, and our labor might be in vain.”
Revelation 1, “9 I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ”
Revelation 2, “9 “I know your works, tribulation, and poverty (but you are rich); and I know the blasphemy of those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.”
Revelation 7, “13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” 14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. 16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
All the saints have gone through tribulation and we read that even the saints in the end times go through tribulation. Yet, a made up deceitful idea is that God is not going to allow certain believers to experience tribulation where you see over and over again the opposite.
Sorry, I told you before this would get quite involved. I know we only covered 3 verses. But, wow, were they packed full of great information.
