“3 And
as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him
privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what
shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
" (Matthew 24:3).
In our last message about this
subject, we discussed Jesus teaching what the signs for
the end of the age would be and who would be the recipients of these
signs. Jesus speaks of a great apostasy, or falling away from the
true faith in the Living God, wars and rumors of wars, and the sign
of the abomination of desolation. All this leads up to the coming
Tribulation. Then suddenly He turns His attention to one group of
people that will be His focus to bring them to the recognition of
their Messiah by persecution and being refined as silver is refined
in the fire....namely the nation of Israel.
2 “But
who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he
appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fullers' soap:
3 And
he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify
the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may
offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.
4 Then
shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Lord,
as in the days of old, and as in former years.” (Malachi 3:2-4)
If
you need a refresher course in what was established in Part I, then I
invite you to read that message first here on Prophecy Update or on
my blog, as we are moving on to the next chapter of Matthew 25 that
is directly connected to chapter 24 and further reveals signs
that point to what is coming prior to Jesus coming in power and great
glory to rule and reign for 1000 years.
Parable
of the Ten Virgins
25:1
“ Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten
virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the
bridegroom.
25:2 And five of them were wise, and five
were foolish.” (Matthew 25:1-2)
Some erroneously take
this passage as speaking of the church, not as a whole, but
individuals. Notice they are waiting for the bridegroom. They are
virgins, meaning they follow after no false god, or have allegiance
to the “anti-Christ” who will demand worship during the
tribulation period, but notice what becomes of them?
25:3
“ They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil
with them:
25:4 But the wise took oil in their vessels
with their lamps.
25:5 While the bridegroom tarried,
they all slumbered and slept.” (Matthew 25:3-5)
WHY
DO THEY SLEEP?
Oil
in their lamps is a sign of the Holy Spirit. While enduring the
period known as the tribulation, they became weary. What does the
above passage mean? During the period known as “Jacobs troubles”
or the Great Tribulation, many will fall by the wayside and loose out
with God, as they do not keep the Spirit of God fresh in their
lives. While
the foolish are busy trying to get their spiritual lives in order at
the last minute, Christ comes to take the wise, and the doors to the
marriage feast are shut . Only those virgins who have a regular
supply of oil and combine it with the lamp of God, the Bible, can
hear the true voice of their Shepherd calling to them through His
God's chosen, the 144,000 Jewish evangelist, including the Two
Witnesses. The foolish virgins will at first scoff at these two men
and ignore their warnings. But when the Two Witnesses begin
performing miracles, the wise virgins will start to wake from their
deep sleep; they will begin to repent and ask God for His
Spirit.
Unlike the Age of Grace when the church had been sealed with an
irrevocable sign of redemption by the blood of Jesus Christ and a
deposit of the Holy Spirit was given to their spirit to dwell in life
as His children till their redemption, the Holy Spirit has been
withdrawn to Pre-Pentecostal times as noted in 2nd
Thessalonians:
2:7 For the mystery of iniquity doth
already work: only he who now letteth (God's Holy Spirit) will let,
until he be taken out of the way.(drawn back)
2:8 And
then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with
the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his
coming:” (2nd
Thessalonians 2:7-8)
The fullness of God's Holy Spirit to
hold back the rampage of evil from this earth that will overtake all
who live, has been removed in its full power along with the Church.
Satan will now have full sway to attempt to destroy all of mankind,
but while he's at it, seek worship for himself from fallen and evil
men. All through the Age of Grace, for nigh 2000 years, God's Holy
Spirit can only be the power that keeps Satan and his evil intent at
bay, but when the Spirit of God is pulled back in its fullness, (then
the church will be removed at that time as well as each of us have
the Holy Spirit as a deposit of our future glory), and Satan will
have unimpeded ability to deceive and destroy.
Notice
what happens while these virgins are waiting for the
bridegroom?
25:6 “And at midnight there was a cry
made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
25:7
Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
25:8
And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for
our lamps are gone out.” (Matthew 25:6-8)
These
five foolish virgins had lost the Holy Spirit in their lives. They
have let the troubles, the persecution, and the evil around them rob
them of staying faithful to God. Will it be possible for a person who
has accepted Jesus Christ during this time to loose out with
Him? According to these verses, it will take all the faith and
diligence to stay true to God's Word, and half of these virgins fail
in that attempt. So during the tribulation, it will be possible to
loose out with God as they have to be true to God's Spirit leading
them and not succumb to the evil in this world. Back to what Jesus
said in the previous chapter:
24:11 “And many false prophets
shall rise, and shall deceive many.
24:12 And because
iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
24:13
But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be
saved.
24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be
preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then
shall the end come.”(Matthew 24:11-14)
As mentioned, some
believe that this is part of the church. They are not. How do I know?
Because of the verses that follow them frantically trying to find oil
for their lamp.
25:10 “And while they went to buy, the
bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the
marriage: and the door was shut.
25:11 Afterward came
also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
25:12
But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you
not.”(Matthew 25:10-12)
Note
that the gift of God's Holy Spirit is just that, “a gift” as it
can not be bought or secured by man's attempts to buy with any work
that he can do. These who are not ready, attempt to buy God's Spirit
by either works, or personal endeavors to give them what they had
lost.
Also note, these virgins were guest. Five were included,
five were denied access, as they were not recognized by the
bridegroom for entrance to the feast. The church has already
been redeemed approximately 7 years earlier and here Jesus, the
bridegroom is presenting her to the world for a wedding feast. These
virgin guests were not the bride.
It
seems that the wedding guests are the ones who will take part in the
1000 year reign (apart
from the Church because she is the Bride). They are the “saints”
of the Old Testament (they died before the Church came into
existence), the 144,000 Jews, the people who were martyred during the
reign of the Beast (because they would not worship the
Beast/Antichrist and the image of the Beast), the remnant of Israel,
and the nations that treated Israel with respect during the Great
Tribulation.
Note
what it says in this passage in Revelation:
19:9 “And he
saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the
marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true
sayings of God.” (Revelation 19:9)
Looking at the Amplified
Bible explains better what is being said here in the KJV and it
behooves us to compare the two. I know, some will say KJV only, but
explanation is needed for the passage to become clear:
19:8
She has been permitted to dress in fine (radiant) linen,
dazzling and white--for the fine linen is (signifies, represents) the
righteousness (the upright, just, and godly living, deeds, and
conduct, and right standing with God) of the saints (God's holy
people).
19:9 Then [the angel] said to me, Write this
down: Blessed (happy, to be envied) are those who are summoned
(invited, called) to the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he said to
me [further], These are the true words (the genuine and exact
declarations) of God.” (Revelation 19:8-9, Amplified Bible)
I
believe that there is definite break in Revelation 19:8 and the
following in verse 19 and sometimes missed in comparison to this
passage. Those called tribulation saints to the wedding feast which
comes directly after the consummation of the marriage covenant
between husband and wife are guest, not the bride. The marriage
covenant between Jesus Christ and His church is one aspect completed
in glory, but the wedding feast is upon the arrival of our Lord in
chapter 19 with His bride riding on white horses and clothed with
fine linen, clean and white which is a sign of the
saints.
When you turn back your focus to the foolish
virgins as they beat on the door asking entrance into God's presence
and the wedding feast, Jesus as the bridegroom, says that He did not
know them, as they are not invited as guest and have not a proper
attire, the Holy Spirit's indwelling to be admitted.
The bride
is already inside. The bridegroom does not invite His bride to the
wedding. She is the FOCUS of the wedding. She receives no invitation
except being covered in the blood of Jesus Christ as a requirement
for being part of the Bride of Christ and that covenant has been
completed in heaven's realm. So what this parable is talking about is
Tribulation Saints who endure to the end of a most horrible time of
persecution and possible martyrdom and will not give into denying
their Lord, or being deceived by the spirit of anti-Christ, but each
can loose what they had due to their lack of faith and perseverance
to be faithful till the end of the age as represented by the five
foolish virgins.
Parable
of the Talents
“For
the kingdom of heaven is as a man traveling into a far country, who
called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods.
25:15
And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to
another one; to every man according to his several ability; and
straightway took his journey.” (Matthew 25:14-15)
This
is another way of our Lord presenting those from the Tribulation
period who some will win, and some will lose. These servants are
delivered talents to be used in the work of their Master, and to
receive a return on His investment. The Master expects production.
Production of what?
In ancient times, the talent was a measure
of solid gold. It was the most valuable of metals during this time.
Jesus is presenting to His servants something that is most valuable
to Him. Since God does not need gold, as everything belongs to Him
already, what is Jesus talking about? I believe He speaks of His
Word! Why am I convinced of this? Let's turn to Mark chapter 4. Jesus
speaks of the parable of the sower of seed.
4:14 “The sower
soweth the word.
4:15 And these are they by the way
side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh
immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their
hearts.
4:16 And these are they likewise which are sown
on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately
receive it with gladness;
4:17 And have no root in
themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction
or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are
offended.
4:18 And these are they which are sown among
thorns; such as hear the word,
4:19 And the cares of
this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other
things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.
4:20
And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear
the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold,
some sixty, and some an hundred.” (Mark 4:14-20)
Who is the
sower? The Holy Spirit plants the Word, but we are His instruments,
His servants. We sow based on the leading of the Holy Spirit and God
gives the increase. As noted further on in Mark 4:
4:24 “And
he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete,
it shall be measured to you: and unto you that hear shall more be
given.
4:25 For he that hath, to him shall be given: and
he that hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he
hath.
4:26 And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if
a man should cast seed into the ground;
4:27 And should
sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow
up, he knoweth not how.
4:28 For the earth bringeth
forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the
full corn in the ear.
4:29 But when the fruit is brought
forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is
come.” (Mark 4:24-29)
In
both Matthew and Luke, a master puts his servants in charge of his
goods while he is away on a trip. Upon his return, the master
assesses the stewardship of his servants. He evaluates them according
to how faithful each was in making wise investments of his goods to
obtain a profit. It is clear that the master sought some profit from
the servants’ oversight. A gain indicated faithfulness on the part
of the servants. The master rewards his servants according to how
each has handled his stewardship. He judges two servants as having
been “faithful” and gives them a positive reward. To the single
unfaithful servant, who “played it safe”, a negative compensation
is given.
To each of His servants during this time, as with the foolish
virgins, God gives each of these servants something that they must
hold onto. As you read, you see that each of the servants use that
talent, God's Word, to use in the production of winning souls for
Jesus Christ. It depends on the measure of understanding and ability.
But each must use each in the service of their Lord. To do otherwise,
is like the unprofitable servant who hid His Masters, money/Word away
from doing anything useful to further the coming Kingdom of God.
During this time, there will be a famine in the land...famine of
food? No, famine of the Word of God.
"Behold, the days
are coming," says the Lord GOD, "That I will send a famine
on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of
hearing the words of the LORD. They shall wander from sea to sea, and
from north to east; they shall run to and fro, seeking the word of
the LORD, but shall not find it." (Amos 8:11-12)
During
this time, the Word of God will be most precious, as it will be hard
to find, as evil and idolatry has filled the land. Those who are
given the gift of God's Word, must share that Word with others. Only
by sharing the Word of Truth with their neighbor, be he Jew or
Gentile, will there be a return of people receiving salvation. It
could be as simple as sharing a hidden bible with your neighbor and
risking being reported. To do so will in most likelihood be filled
with danger to even speak the Word of God to anybody. Those that hide
His Word, and follow not His command will likely loose out in the
end, just as the five foolish virgins did and wasted away their
chance to keep their salvation. So what happens to the foolish
servant who hid His Master's money/Word in the ground and did not
proclaim the Gospel that he had?
25:30 “And cast ye the
unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 25:30) (synonymous with hell)
Parable
of the Sheep and Goat Judgment
25:31
“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy
angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his
glory:
25:32 And before him shall be gathered all
nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd
divideth his sheep from the goats:
25:33 And he shall
set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.”
(Matthew 25:31-33)
This is yet another parable of the
tribulation period of how people will treat one another. Who are the
people that are in prison, hungry, thirsty, or naked?
25:40
“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto
you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these “my
brethren”,
ye have done it unto me.” (Matthew 25:40) (emphasis mine)
Who
are the brethren Jesus speaks of? During the time of the tribulation,
to be Hebrew of the nation of Israel, Jewish by convenience of terms,
is to have a death sentence riding over you. Satan hates the nation
of Israel and wants them dead. He will attempt to eradicate them and
make God out a liar. As if Satan can destroy Israel and the Jewish
people, then he can make God's Word out to be a lie and possibly
prevent his ultimate fate in the lake of fire that he knows is
coming.
As
it was in the days of the Nazi Germany, to be Jewish, or to help a
Jew in any fashion, is to be marked for death. During this time, the
Anti-Christ will make Hitler look like a beginner, as he marches
across the middle east and the greater portion of this earth looking
for anyone and every one who is Jewish by birth, or ancestry. To hide
an Israeli, or give him drink, food, clothe him, or do anything to
preserve his/her life, is taking your own life into your hands. Those
that have empowered or hidden away their neighbor, the Jew, will be
the sheep on God's right hand. Those that have handed their neighbor
over to the authorities to save their own skin, will be on His left
hand and will have lost out to being in God's Kingdom. These will cry
out in dismay and objection to this condemnation, and Jesus will
say:
25:44 “Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord,
when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or
sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
25:45
Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you,
Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not
to me.
25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting
punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.” (Matthew
25:44-46)
The
sheep and goat judgment occurs on earth just before the 1,000 year
reign of Christ. Scripture teaches that there are three judgments:
Bema Seat Judgment, Sheep and Goat Judgment, and the Great White
Throne Judgment. The
Bema Judgment is rewards given for building on the foundation which
is Jesus Christ and given to all true Christians. The Goat and Sheep
judgment separates the living saints from those who are not. The
saints enter the Kingdom both those who were resurrected and those
who were still living at the end of the Tribulation. The Great White
Throne judgment is for all dead non-Christians.
During
this time of great tribulation, those who persevere and hold onto
their crown will be led into the joy of their Lord. Those who miss
the mark and loose their salvation through deceit of the evil one, or
the powers that be, will be as each of the parables speak of, losers
of the blessing to enter the Kingdom of God. During this time
the verse that speaks of the love of many growing cold cannot be more
dramatic than at this time of the history of the world. Repeating
what Jesus spoke in the previous chapter of Matthew 24:
24:12
“And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax
cold.
24:13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the
same shall be saved.
24:14 And this gospel of the
kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all
nations; and then shall the end come.” (Matthew 24:12-14)
The
true love of God is seen in the sheep. As the sheep respond to their
Jewish brother's need, they are united in their distress and at the
same time unwittingly, unconsciously, without hypocrisy, align
themselves with Christ. Apparently, they are not even aware of what
they were doing. This is a kind of love that cannot be faked or put
on.
"By
this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for
one another" (John 13:35).
There is coming a day and
it is imminent, when to be a Christian will be more dangerous than it
is even today. Christians are persecuted in some form in some part of
the world in this so called “modern age”. But when this time of
Jacobs trouble comes upon this earth, the next seven years will be
the most horrific period in all of man's history on earth and it will
come to every man, woman and child that has the unfortunate aspect of
being alive on this earth at that time.
The chances of you
making God's Kingdom and eternal life, to those who are reading this,
and have not accepted Jesus Christ as personal Savior, NOW, will most
likelihood will not have a chance to do so. But if you do, it will be
fraught with so much danger and fear, that the weak of spirit will
succumb to the powers who make you choose, Jesus Christ or your head.
Many who at first hear the Good News with gladness will be like the
seed that was sown on rocky ground, as spoken of in the Parable of
the Seed Sower, when persecution comes, they have no root and whither
away. Many will loose their life, their soul, and their eternal
reward, because they have no ability to stand. Those who don't care
will have a deceiving spirit that they will believe a lie as Paul
wrote 2nd Thessalonians:
9 “Even
him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and
signs and lying wonders,
10 And
with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish;
because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be
saved.
11 And
for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should
believe a lie:
12 That
they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure
in unrighteousness.” (2nd Thessalonians 2:9-12)
Each
of these two chapters of Matthew 24 and 25 are focused on one group
of people upon earth, the nation of Israel and the Jewish people.
Each of these are examples of what they and the unfortunate Gentile
that is left upon this earth when Jesus comes and cries with a loud
Trumpet call, “come up hither”.
50” Now
this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom
of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
51 Behold,
I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be
changed,
52 In
a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the
trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and
we shall be changed.
53 For
this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put
on immortality.
54 So
when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal
shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the
saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
55 O
death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?” (1st
Corinthians 15:50-55)
THE
END OF THIS AGE
The
signs of the end of the age is all around us. We await for the next
crisis that will usher in a man with a great speaking voice. A man
with a charismatic personality, a man with a narcissistic arrogance,
and a man who speaks soft words to deceive. When that man comes to
power, and the signs that I spoke of in the first part of this two
part series, then my reader, you will be tested beyond what is being
tested now in this Age of Grace. Mercy is still available for the
asking. This side of Jesus coming for His Church takes only a simple
prayer of childlike belief. To be sealed with the Holy Spirit of
promise is to rid yourself of the weight of what is coming. My
reader, make no mistake, it is coming. All who live today and read
these words, know in their gut, something major is about to happen.
Every human with half a brain knows that this world cannot continue
this way. They sense it, they smell it, and they see it. It assaults
all of your five God given senses. To wait longer than a sudden
crisis that takes the world by surprise will most likely spell your
doom, the removal of the church, some call the Rapture. Please do
yourself this one act that can preserve you for all eternity. 2nd
Corinthians:
6:2 “For he saith, I have heard thee in a time
accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold,
now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
(2nd
Corinthians 6:2)
Today
is the day for anyone who needs Jesus, and realize that they are
doomed to a devil's hell, must make that decision to accept Jesus as
their personal Savior. Note that none of us are promised even
tomorrow. Even the young, who think they are invincible, can
suddenly meet their fate of dying at an early age, so time is not on
any of our sides. Death could come in the next breath or heartbeat of
each individual. The Holy Spirit, I pray, is using these words to
prick your conscience that you are not right with God, that you are
lost in your sins, and that you are bound for eternal separation from
God. Don't let that happen. Take the next step and realize that God
made a way that none who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ will endure
any of what Jesus spoke of in these two chapters of Matthew.
16 “For
God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that
whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life.
17 For
God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that
the world through him might be saved.
18 He
that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is
condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the
only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:16-18)
Realize
this in your heart and soul, and call out to God for forgiveness of
your sins and believing that Jesus died for your sins, and mine.
35 “And
Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me
shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
36 But
I said unto you, That ye also have seen me, and believe not.
37 All
that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me
I will in no wise cast out.
38 For
I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him
that sent me.
39 And
this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he
hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at
the last day.” (John 6:35-39)
Realize
your spiritual condition and confess with you mouth to others around
you, that you have accepted Jesus as your personal Savior, and God
will welcome you into His family.
8 “But
what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy
heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That
if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt
believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou
shalt be saved.
10 For
with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation.
11 For
the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12 For
there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same
Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For
whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
(Romans 10:8-13)
So
my reader, there you have it, In two chapters coming from God
Almighty in the flesh, Jesus spoke of something you do NOT want to
see in your mortal flesh, the Signs of the End of the Age. Make that
decision for Jesus Christ, as time is running out as Jesus could come
at any moment.
So come quickly, Lord Jesus. Amen, and
amen.
This is Pastor Mike Taylor, praying God's
salvation come into your life. If there is anything I can help you
with, counsel you, pray with you, or just a friendly ear, email me at
realteam1999@sbcglobal.net, or visit me online at
www.pastormiketaylor.blogspot.com
for more biblical lessons from the Word of God. . God bless you all,
