Day of Judgment / Rapture

     For two weeks now we have been examining what the Bible has to say about the judgement day and about attempts to predict when it will be.  We have examined various Scriptures and hastablishment of the church in the book of Acts speak of the coming of the kingdom in the past tense.  Some examples are Colossians 1:13, Hebrews 12:28 and Revelation 1:6,9.  Philippians 3:20 says we are already citizens of heaven.
     With all of this ieping in mind what had been discussed during the two programs.  Let's turn, now, to the New Testament and examine these passages together.
     "And as He was going out of the temple," Mark 13 opens, "one of His disciples said to Him, 'Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!'
     "And Jesus said to him, 'Do you see these great buildings?  Not one stone shall be left upon another which will not be torn down.'
     "Tell us," Peter, James, John and Andrew question in verse 4, "when will these things be, and what will be the sign when these things are going to be fulfilled?"
     Jesus goes on from verse five to answer their question.  But what is the question?  It is, "When will the temple be destroyed?"
     What is the answer?  The temple would be destroyed after wars, earthquakes and famines.  The Christians would be taken before the Sanhedrins, flogged in the synagogues and accused before governors and kings.
     Verse 10 claims that the gospel would first be preached to all nations.  Some people try to say that this could not be fulfilled until recent times, since much of the world was unknown at that time.
     Acts 2:5 states that men from every nation under heaven were present for Peter's first sermon on the day of Pentecost.  "But that only refered to the known world," some might argue.  If so, then Jesus had the same thing in mind.  And this is not the only passage that tells of the gospel being preached to all nations.
     "You shall be My witnesses...even to the remotest parts of the earth," Jesus promises His apostles in Acts 1:8.
     In Colossians 1:5 Paul makes reference to the gospel.  "Which has come to you," he continues in verse 6, "just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing..."
     The gospel was "proclaimed in all creation under heaven," according to Colossians 1:23.
     And Paul writes in Romans 10:18-20 that a prophecy has been fulfilled that the gospel would be heard to the ends of the earth.
     Jesus goes on from Mark 13:11 to assure His followers that the Holy Spirit would help them through their trials.  "But when you see the abomination of desolation standing where it should not be (let the reader understand)," Jesus continues from verse 14, "then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
     The Jewish historian Josephus describes in chapter 6 section 1 of his book "Wars of the Jews" how the Romans placed their ensigns around the temple after Titus conquered the city.  As the capital city fell, it was a good sign for the people in the rest of the country to hide.
     "And let him who is on the housetop not go down," Jesus warns from verse 15, "or enter in, to get anything out of his house."  It is interesting to note that excavations in Jerusalem have uncovered the body of a person who evidently returned to a house to retrieve some possession and was trapped by a falling ceiling.
     "And let him who is in the field not turn back to get his cloak," Jesus continues.
     "But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babes in those days!" Jesus cautions.
     "But pray that it may not happen in the winter."
     Are these verses describing the coming of the Lord, or are they warning of the coming of the Roman army?  What difference does it make whether or not the Lord comes in the winter?
     All of the things mentioned by Jesus as preceding the destruction of the temple occured in the first century prior to the destruction of Jerusalem by Titus.
     From verse 24 to verse 27 the text tells of a time when the sun would be darkened, the moon would not give its light and the stars would fall.  We have already explained that this is very common prophetic language for the judgement against a system.  

     "I looked on the earth," God says in Jeremiah 4:23-26," and behold, it was formless and void; and to the heavens, and they had no light.
     "I looked to the mountains, and behold, they were quaking, and all the hills moved to and fro.
     "I looked, and behold, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens had fled.
     "I looked, and behold, the fruitful land was a wilderness, and all its cities were pulled down before the Lord, before His fierce anger."
     What is this passage describing?  Verses 14-16 point out that the chapter is talking about the destruction of Jerusalem and Judah.  But, isn't this painting the picture of total destruction?
     "Yet I will not execute a complete destruction," God replies in verse 27.
     What do we get from Mark 13?  We get a description of first century events leading up to the destruction of the temple.  What was the original question, anyway?
     "And while some were talking about the temple," Luke 21:5-7 says in a parallel account, "that it was adorned with beautiful stones and votive gifts, He said, 'As for these things which you are looking at, the days will come in which there will not be left one stone upon another which will not be torn down.'
     "And they questioned Him, saying, 'Teacher, when therefore will these things be?  And what will be the sign when these things are about to take place?"
     What are the followers of Jesus trying to find out?  Are they trying to learn about the things that Jesus has told them would happen, or are they wanting to know about something that will happen in the 20th century? What is the Lord's answer describing?  Is He telling of something that would happen during their lifetimes, or about September, 1988?
     Just what do we expect to find when we look at Matthew 24 in light of what we have learned?  Do we expect to find something entirely different?
     The passage in Matthew begins with comments about the temple buildings.  Jesus points out in verse 2 that the temple will be entirely torn down.
     "Tell us," the disciples ask in verse 3, "when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?
     What "coming" are they asking about?  Is it His coming in the Day of Judgement, or His coming in judgement against the Jewish system?  Which fits better with the context?  It might help to mention that the word that is translated "coming" could be just as well, if not better, translated "presence."
     And they are asking about the end of what age?  Is it the end of the Jewish age or the Christian age?  They were living in the Jewish age at the time.  And which fits better with the context?
     Verse 30 says that they would see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory.
     "Behold, the Lord is riding on a swift cloud," Isaiah 19:1 says, "and is about to come to Egypt..."  Is this passage talking about the final day of judgement, or about judgement against Egypt?  This is just one of the verses that we mentioned last week were God is said to ride on the clouds when He carries out judgement.
     "Hereafter you shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven," Jesus warns the high priest in Matthew 26:64.  Whether or not Matthew 24:30 and 26:64 are talking about the same thing, the latter still shows that this phrase does not always refer to the final day of judgement.
     To understand the rest of the passage in Matthew 24, we must decide when Jesus started to gather together His elect from the four winds.  Many parables deal with the idea of Jesus calling and gathering His followers first from among the Jews and then from the Gentiles.
     The word "church" means a gathering or those who have been "called out."  Do these verses have to refer to the Day of Judgement, or could they be talking about the end of the Jewish system and the establishment of the church?  Which best fits the context?
     Last week we pointed out that the belief behind the most recent prediction involves the return of Jesus to reinstate the Jewish religious system.  We cited many verses that make this an outragious expectation.  Let's close our discussion by looking at just one of these, Hebrews 10.
     "For the Law, since it has only a shadow of the good things to come and not the very form of things," the chapter begins, "can never by the same sacrifices year by year, which they offer continually, make perfect those who draw near.
     "For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins," verse 4 teaches.
     The following verses explain that God was not pleased with the Old Testament sacrifices.
     "He takes away the first in order to establish the second," verse 9 claims.  Will Jesus really come back to take away the second in order to establish the first?
     "By this will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all," verse 10 says.  Does the phrase, "once for all" leave room for a future return to the old system?
     Verse 12 states that Jesus offered one sacrifice for all time before being seated at the right hand of God.  Does this mean He will return to replace His sacrifice with the Jewish sacrificial system?
     "For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified," verse 14 promises.  Never, ever will anyone be santified by anything other than the sacrifice of Jesus.
     Jesus is the only truth that will ever set us free.

Unless otherwise noted, "Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE(R), (C) Copyright The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977. Used by permission."