CHAPTER 24

24:1-14 Signs of Christ’s return

Mark 13 and Luke 21 comment on the beautiful stones in Herod’s temple. 

AI: “Herod’s Temple, or the Second Temple, was a massive expansion of the Jewish temple in Jerusalem begun by Herod the Great around 19 BCE. It served as the focal point of Jewish worship and the three major pilgrimage festivals until it was completely destroyed by the Roman army in 70 CE.

History and Construction

Following the return of the Jewish people from the Babylonian exile and the destruction of the First Temple (built by Solomon), the Second Temple was constructed around 516 BCE. Seeking to legitimize his rule and honor the Jewish faith, Herod the Great initiated a massive renovation and expansion project in the 1st century BC.

• The Temple Mount: Herod greatly expanded the flat esplanade of the Temple Mount by building monumental retaining walls and filling in the surrounding terrain, creating a massive, nearly 35-acre platform.
• Engineering Feats: The construction involved massive stones, some weighing hundreds of tons, which were maneuvered and set using advanced ancient techniques. 
• Timeline: While the main sanctuary took about 18 months to build, expansions and subsidiary additions continued for decades. It was frequently under construction during the time of Jesus’s ministry.

Architecture and Layout

The temple complex was renowned for its beauty and grandeur, and the Talmud noted that “he who has not seen the Temple of Herod has never seen a beautiful building”. 

• The Sanctuary: The temple building itself was faced with white marble and overlaid with gold, reflecting the sunlight so brightly that it was hard to look at directly.
• The Courts: The esplanade was surrounded by magnificent colonnades. On the southern side stood the Royal Stoa, a grand basilica used for civic and commercial purposes. Other sections included the Court of the Gentiles, the Court of the Women, and the Court of the Priests.
• The Antonia Fortress: At the northwest corner of the complex sat the Antonia Fortress, a Roman military garrison that overlooked the temple courts.

Significance and Destruction

Herod’s Temple was the epicenter of religious, cultural, and national life for the Jewish people. Complex sacrifices and rituals were performed there, and it was the destination for required annual pilgrimages.

• Destruction: In 66 CE, the First Jewish-Roman War broke out. In 70 CE, Roman legions under the command of Titus besieged and conquered Jerusalem. The Romans set fire to the temple and completely leveled it, leaving not one stone standing upon another, as prophesied in Christian scriptures.
• Modern Surviving Remains: The Temple building itself was entirely lost. However, the colossal retaining walls Herod built to support the Temple Mount esplanade survived. The most famous and holiest remaining section of this structure is the Western Wall (or Wailing Wall) in Jerusalem, which continues to be a sacred site of prayer for the Jewish people. 

But Jesus said to the disciples, “Not one stone will be left on another”. The disciples  would never have expected such  a prediction of the destruction of God’s holy temple. The Babylonians destroyed it in 586 BC. The Jews rebuilt it, although not as grandeur as Solomon’s first temple, in 516 BC on the first return from Babylonian captivity. Herod then made it a beautiful structure by the time of Jesus. 

The disciples then asked a question with two parts.” 1) When will that happen? 2) What will be the sign of Christ’s coming and the end of the age. They had heard Jesus predict that he would come back within that generation (Matthew 10:23; 16:27,28). They assumed that the 2nd coming would bring about the end of the Jewish Age and usher in the beginning of the Messianic Age. The prediction of the destruction of the temple had to confound and disturb. Maybe they are thinking that Christ will return, destroy the temple, rebuild a 3rd temple, which is what a lot of Christians think today. 

AI: “In Matthew 24:3, the disciples asked Jesus about the “end of the age”. To the 1st-century Jewish mind, this was not the end of the physical planet, but the end of the Old Covenant era—the age dominated by the Jerusalem Temple and Roman oppression. They expected the Messiah to trigger an apocalyptic transition, overthrow the Roman Empire, and establish a permanent, glorious Kingdom of Israel.

Key Jewish expectations regarding the “end of the age” included:

• The Messiah’s Glorious Reign: They expected the Messiah to literally “come” (as inquired in verse 3) to sit on a physical throne, judge the wicked, and restore national sovereignty to Israel.
• The Resurrection and Judgment: Rooted in passages like [Daniel 12:1-13], they anticipated a final resurrection of the dead and a vindication of the righteous.
• The Passing of “This Age”: Jewish theology divided history into two periods: “this present evil age” (characterized by sin, suffering, and foreign domination) and “the age to come” (characterized by righteousness and the visible presence of God).

When Jesus prophesied the destruction of the Temple (v. 2), the disciples naturally assumed this catastrophic judgment would signal the arrival of the Messiah’s kingdom and the dawn of the “age to come”.”

So the disciples are looking for “when” the temple will be destroyed and for the “signs” that would precede the 2nd coming and end of the age. Jesus then names several things that will happen that will not be signs (wars, etc.). He gives a “when” answer in Matthew 24:14 This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come.”” The preaching of the gospel to the whole Roman Empire would have to happen first and the end of the age would follow right after that. The apostles fulfilled that by 70 AD (Colossians 1:23) when the temple was destroyed. 

Daniel 9:24-27 had predicted the abomination and destruction of the temple in the 70 week prophecy. Daniel 12 also predicted the abomination of desolation to occur at the “end”, the “end time”, and the “end of the age”. That would be where the Jews got the idea of the “end of the age”. Jesus said that the abomination of desolation predicted by Daniel would occur after the gospel was preached to the whole world (Matthew 24:15). When would that be? In Matthew 24:34 Jesus said 34 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” The Greek word genea in the New Testament always means a 40 year period or the people living in a 40 year period. So the abomination of desolation of the temple had to occur within about 40 years of when Jesus said that. That means that he must be predicting the destruction of the temple by the Romans in 70 AD since he made that prediction in about 30 AD.

Luke 21 describes it differently and adds that Jerusalem itself will be trampled under foot by Gentiles (Romans) and destroyed: 21:20 “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near. 21 Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are inside the city must leave, and those who are in the country must not enter the city; 22 because these are days of punishment, so that all things which have been written will be fulfilled. 23 Woe to those women who are pregnant, and to those who are nursing babies in those days; for there will be great distress upon the land, and wrath to this people; 24 and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled underfoot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.” But Luke puts the same time limit for the event to happen: 21:32 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place.” Indeed the Romans did surround Jerusalem and siege it for 5 months before finally breaking through the 3 walls and destroying the city and the temple under Titus. 

Luke also adds, 21: 22 because these are days of punishment, so that all things which have been written will be fulfilled.” All Old Testament prophecies had to be fulfilled by 70 AD, and that would include Daniel’s predictions about the abomination of desolation and the end of the Age. 

Jesus adds a few warnings for the inhabitants of the city to flee hastily to the mountains when they see this sign coming true. He predicted a tribulation of the Jews like had never occurred. That tribulation would happen at the same time as the abomination of desolation. Matthew 21:21 For then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will again.” Daniel 12:1-2 also predicted this AD 70 tribulation that would occur at the end of the age in 70 AD. Many use this verse to predict a tribulation of Christians at some time in our future, but that is totally incorrect. The tribulation Jesus spoke of occurred in the suffering and killing of Jews by the Romans in the Wars of the Jews (66-70 AD) and In the siege and destruction of the temple in 70 AD. 

Jesus then predicts his 2nd coming that the disciples had asked for a sign of when that would happen (24:3). 24:29 “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. 31 And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet blast, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.” Notice that this 2nd coming would occur “immediately after the tribulation”. If the tribulation occurred in 70 AD, then the 2nd coming would be immediately after that, also in 70 AD. Jesus had already predicted that his 2nd coming would be within the lifetime of those he was talking to (Matthew 10:23; 16:27,28) so this prediction agrees with earlier predictions. He even said that some of those he was talking to would still be alive to see his 2nd coming in his kingdom (Matthew 16:28). He said in 24:30 that this 2nd coming would happen within that generation. Jesus had ascended in the clouds (Acts 1:9-11) and two angels told the apostles that he would return in the same way. Matthew 24:30 confirms that he came “on the clouds” in 70 AD. “Every eye will see him”: Revelation 1:7 describes the Second Coming of Jesus, stating: “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him.” Matthew 24:30 “they will see” Jesus when he would come in 70 AD at his 2nd coming. Did every eye on the planet see Jesus coming in 70 AD? No, but the first century Jews saw that 70 AD was Jesus coming on the clouds to judge the Jews, especially those who crucified him, who would be killed by the Romans in 70 AD. The bottom line is that Matthew 24:30-34 said that they would see Jesus coming on the clouds at the 2nd coming within that generation, fulfilling the prediction that every eye will see him coming on the clouds.

But what about “the stars will fall from the sky” if this prediction in 70 AD? Did that happen literally in 70 AD. Of course not. But such figurative language was used often in the Old Testament describing judgments of nations. Isaiah 13 uses the same type of figurative language to describe the judgment of Babylon. Isaiah 13:10 “the stars will not flash their light, the sun will be dark when it rises, and the moon will not shed its light”. So the stars falling was fulfilled figuratively in the 2nd coming in 70 AD. Many think that the stars will have to fall literally at some future 2nd coming but that is false. 

In Matthew 24:36-41 Jesus compares this imminent 2nd coming with the judgment of the world in the days of Noah. Just like the wicked before the flood, the wicked Jews would not heed Jesus’ warning about 70 AD. 24:37 For [ab]the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah.” This is the same 2nd coming in 70 AD that he had just predicted. Many agree that up to verse 35 is predicting AD 70 but then they say verses 36-41 is predicting a 3rd coming that is still in our future. Where would such a new prediction of a 3rd coming come from since we now have 3 predictions (Matthew 10:23; 16:27,28; 24:30-34) by Jesus that his 2nd coming would be within that generation? Not only that, he says that, just like the flood, “two men will be taken and one left”. So who was “taken” at the flood? It was the wicked taken and the righteous (Noah and his family) that were left. This is totally opposite of what futurists teach will happen at some “rapture” at some future 2nd coming. They say the righteous will be taken and the wicked left, which is the opposite of what Jesus said would happen in 70 AD. Matthew 24 is predicting only one 2nd coming in 70 AD Even Jesus did not know the exact time and date, but he gave the signs to look for so the righteous Jews could escape the city before it was too lat. According to Eusebius, they Jewish Christians in the city did heed Jesus’ warnings and fled to Pella before 70 AD. 

This discussion of Matthew 24 doesn’t deal with every detail, but I hope it does correctly interpret Jesus’ comments. Some say that it does predict AD 70 but that it has a double fulfillment of a 3rd coming in our future, but such double fulfillments would make the original prediction meaningless. The prediction was that the 2nd coming would occur within that generation and that can’t be fulfilled a 2nd time going on 2000 years later. Some use this chapter to predict nothing but a future 2nd coming that is yet to happen, but that is false also. They say that the “generation” in Matthew 24:34 is some future “terminal generation, the last generation before the 2nd coming, instead of the generation living when Jesus spoke this. That is false also. I heard on TV preacher use 24:34 to say that the 2nd coming was imminent at the time he was speaking b/c he said it had to happen “within this generation” of about 40 years, i.e. the period the preacher was living in. If it meant that when the preacher lived, why did it not mean that when Jesus spoke it? 

AI: Associated with Daniel’s prophecies, this is widely viewed as a future, literal event where an ultimate world leader (the Antichrist) desecrates a rebuilt Jewish Temple in Jerusalem.” Of course, for Matthew 24 to be fulfilled in our future, a 3rd temple would have to be built and many expect that to happen.

AI:”Beliefs about a Third Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem are rooted in Jewish eschatology and Christian end-times prophecy. Specific groups hold varying views on its construction:

• Orthodox Judaism: Many believe a literal Third Temple will be built, and animal sacrifices will be reinstituted in the Messianic era. Organizations like the Temple Institute have actively prepared for this by recreating ritual objects and priestly garments. Traditional views dictate that this Temple will be built by the Messiah himself or descend miraculously from heaven. They do not expect this 3rd temple to be defiled or destroyed, as Christians believe, b/c they do not accept Jesus as the true Messiah and therefore reject his teachings in Matthew 24. 
• Evangelical and Dispensational Christians: Many Christians (particularly premillennialists) believe a literal Third Temple must be built in Jerusalem prior to the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. They interpret biblical prophecies as foretelling that the Antichrist will allow the Temple to be built, only to defile it mid-way through a seven-year tribulation period. They believe that 3rd temple will be destroyed. 
• The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Also known as the LDS Church, they believe that a Jewish temple will be built in Jerusalem in the last days, in addition to another temple to be built in Missouri.”

That just amazes me these groups all agree that a 3rd temple will be built but totally disagree on what will happen after that. The orthodox Jews believe that the temple will not be destroyed but will resume animal sacrifices and convert Gentiles to Judaism. They get this from Jeremiah 33:17 For this is what the Lord says: ‘David shall not lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel; 18 and the Levitical priests shall not lack a man before Me to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to prepare sacrifices continually.’” That does sound like what will happen if this was to be fulfilled literally. But if you are a Christian and believe in the New Testament, then you know that is not going to happen. The book of Hebrews clearly states that the animal sacrifices have ceased and we are saved by the blood of Jesus. God would never have us go back to animal sacrifices and Levitical priests like in the Old Covenant. All Christians are priests in the new covenant and not just one tribe of Judah who can’t even prove their genealogy today. So Jeremiah 33:17-18 is fulfilled figuratively and not literally in the new covenant. The sacrifices Christians offer as spiritual priests are praise, thanksgiving, and sharing with others instead of animal sacrifices. 

Then there are the Christians who mistakenly say Matthew 24 is still in our future, that a 3rd temple will be built and destroyed, and that Jesus’ 2nd coming will convert the Gentiles and Jews to Christianity. But they think the nation of Israel is somehow part of this happening so they promote the support of Israel. But God said that he was taking the kingdom from Israel and giving it to the spiritual kingdom, the church (Matthew 21:43). God wants all Jews to be saved by belief in Jesus but he is through with Israel as a nation. Strange bedfellows, the Jews and the Christians. Raising money together to build a 3rd temple but totally different plans for that temple and two totally different plans of salvation (one with Jesus and one with a future Messiah to come). Of course the Mormons have their cultish believe in two temples, one in Jerusalem and one in Missouri (why not Utah?) 

Let’s thrown in another kink. AI: “Shia Muslims do not believe that Jesus will rebuild the Jewish temple but they do believe that Jesus is coming back with the Imam Madhi. In Shia eschatology, the primary goal of Jesus’s return is to support the Imam Mahdi (the twelfth, hidden Shia Imam) in establishing global justice and to unite believers under Islam.

Key aspects of these beliefs include:

• The Role of Jesus: Jesus (known as Isa in Islam) is a highly revered prophet and the Messiah. Upon his return, he is expected to pray behind Imam Mahdi, demonstrating the finality of Prophet Muhammad’s message and the leadership of the Imam.
• Focus on Existing Holy Sites: Rather than building a new Jewish temple, the returned Jesus and Imam Mahdi are focused on defeating evil and restoring righteous rule and the conversion of all peoples and religions other Islam. The site of the former Jewish temple in Jerusalem is currently home to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, which are deeply sacred in Islam.
• Islamic Prophecy: According to traditional Islamic sources, Jesus will fulfill his role by correcting misunderstandings about his life, confirming his status as a messenger, and guiding Christians and Jews to recognize the truth of Islam. He will tell Christians that they have been misled into believing that Jesus was the Son of God when he was just another prophet, not even the last prophet (Muhammed was the last prophet). Muhammed was very clear in the Koran that God did not have a Son and that the Christians had been deceived to believe that Jesus was the Son of God. 

A friend and fellow believer asked me to do a blog article on the same sex issue, so here it is. She commented that the LGBTQ advocates keep talking about the mistranslation of words that supposedly condemn homosexuality. There are two of Paul’s passages that conservatives say condemn homosexuality. 1 Corinthians 6:’⁹ Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals (arsenokoites: Homosexual, sodomite, a male who lies with a male as with a female. Thayer’s Greek Lexicon),  ¹⁰ nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor those habitually drunk, nor verbal abusers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Timothy 1:⁹ realizing the fact that law is not made for a righteous person but for those who are lawless and rebellious, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and worldly, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, ¹⁰ for the sexually immoral, homosexuals (arsenokoites: Homosexual, sodomite), slave traders, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching.”

In all openness, here is the pro LGBTQ argument that Paul is not condemning homosexuality, but instead certain typed of deviant sexual behavior. Their argument is based on what they say the original meaning of the Greek word Arsenokoitai (ἀρσενοκοῖται) was.

LGBTQ supporters and progressive theologians argue that New Testament Greek words historically translated as “homosexual” actually condemned exploitative practices like pederasty, temple prostitution, or abusive sexual acts rather than consensual same-sex relationships. This historical debate centers heavily on the word Arsenokoitai found in the writings of the Apostle Paul (in 1 Corinthians 6:9,10 and 1 Timothy 1:9-10).

1. Arsenokoitai (ἀρσενοκοῖται)

• Literal Meaning: A compound of arsen (male) and koite (bed/sex), literally meaning “men who lie with a male”.
• LGBTQ Perspective: Scholars argue this term is a Jewish-Greek adaptation of Leviticus prohibition language (Greek Septuagint). They contend it originally referred to specific abusive acts like pederasty (relations between older men and young boys), male prostitution, or economic exploitation, rather than a modern, loving gay relationship.
• Historical Note: Critics of the traditional translation frequently cite the 1946 release of the Revised Standard Version (RSV) as the first major Bible translation to use the word “homosexual” for arsenokoitai, a term that did not exist in the English language until the late 19th century. Prior to 1946, it was often translated as “abusers of themselves with mankind,” “sodomites,” or “boy molesters”.

3. The Overall Consensus
While conservative theologians and certain translation committees maintain that the original Greek terms broadly encompass all same-sex sexual activity, many scholars agree that the cultural, ethical, and historical context of the ancient world is fundamentally different from modern understandings of LGBTQ identities and marriage. Determining the exact original intent of these words remains an active area of linguistic and historical research.”

I am not a Greek scholar. I rely on Thayer’s Greek Lexicon to tell me what the word originally meant, and Thayer’s says that it meant “homosexual; a male who lies with a male as with a female”. But let’s suppose we can’t be sure about what it meant in the first century. Is there any other way to determine if Paul is saying that homosexuality is a sin? Yes. The answer to that is found in Romans 1:²⁶ For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: ²⁷ And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.” To me, this is clear. There are no Greek words to quibble over. There is nothing in this text about the forbidden sin being men with boys: this is men with men, women with women. How can advocate of homosexuality argue around this? So how do pro homosexual advocates explain this text? AI: “Homosexual advocates and affirming theologians interpret Romans 1:26–27 as a condemnation of unrestrained lust, pagan idolatry, and exploitative practices (like adult men having sex with boys) rather than a universal prohibition against loving, monogamous same-sex relationships.” I’m sorry but that explanation is putting a twist on the text that is just not there. Again, Paul clearly condemns sex between men with men and women with women. Paul calls this homosexual relations “changes the natural use into that which is against nature”. I know that the pro homosexuality advocates will say “there are many examples in nature of what looks like homosexual activity”. That might be true, but “in nature, reproduction strictly requires both male (sperm) and female (egg) genetic contributions. Because standard homosexual sex cannot produce both types of gametes, two males or two females cannot naturally bear offspring together” (AI). So what is the natural use of the sex organs that God created males and females with? So what is the God given model for sexual relations? A man with a woman. I mean you only have to look at the sex organs of a male and a female to figure that out! The male sex organ fits into the female sex organ. That is nature as God designed it. That is why God designed marriage in Genesis 2:²⁴ For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.” What does “become one flesh” mean? 1 Corinthians 6 says that is sex between two people. 6:¹⁶ Or do you not know that the one who joins himself to a prostitute is one body with her? For He says, “The two shall become one flesh.” (quoting Genesis 2:24).

Often the conservatives will quote the Old Testament condemnation of homosexuality. Leviticus 18:22: “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.” Leviticus 20:13: “If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall be put to death, their blood is upon them.” But many argue that these verses target specific ancient practices—such as cultic prostitution, pederasty, or violations of societal honor—rather than modern, loving same-sex relationships. I’m sorry, but again: ” a man lies with a man as with a woman” looks pretty clear to condemn homosexuality. But then the homosexual advocates make this argument: passages like Leviticus 19:19 say that it is condemned to wear a garment of two kinds of material mixed together (like my polyester/cotton shirt), and yet Christians don’t believe that we have to obey that under the new covenant. They argue, “why would you enforce the law against homosexuality and not enforce the law about a mixed material garment? They argue that conservatives just pick and choose which verses in the Old Testament are binding on us today. I feel that there is a big difference between not wearing a shirt with mixed material and men having sex with men. But for the sake of argument, we don’t need the old covenant Law of Moses condemnation of homosexuality to argue that homosexuality is a sin. Romans 1:26-27 is sufficient.

Isn’t Romans 1:26-27 clearly condemning homosexuality? Does’t Paul clearly call homosexuality “degrading passions” (1:26), and “depraved minds” (1:28)? Paul is saying that homosexuality was maybe the final depraved sin that caused God to give the Gentiles over to their degrading pasions. Adultery (sexual immorality where marriage is involved) is wrong. Fornication (sexual immorality where marriage is not involved) is wrong. But homosexual sex is crossing a bigger more serious line. It shows that not just the passions are degraded but the mind is degraded b/c it says that homosexuality is not even a sin. That’s where our cultrue is today!

I hope this article has been a fair discussion, even giving the opposing views on homosexuality. The last debate might be over whether Paul was speaking by inspiration the words of God through the Holy Spirit or was he jsut expressing his homophobic opinions on the matter. In other words, do we have to obey what Paul wrote in Romans 1:26-27 even if we conclude that he is condemning homosexuality? Paul has been recognized as an apostle by Christians, churches, and church fathers since the first century. One of the requirements to be an apostle was to have seen the resurrected Jesus (Acts 1:21-22) and Paul saw the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus to imprison Jewish Christians (Acts 9). Seeing the resurrected Jesus is the only thing that could have changed Paul from being a persecutor of Christans to an apostle to the Gentiles who was martyred for his testimony of the resurrection. He had nothing to gain by becoming an apostle; instead, he lost everything he had in Judaism. Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:¹² The distinguishing marks of a true apostle were performed among you (by me, Paul) with all perseverance, by signs, wonders, and miracles.” Apparently all the churches accepted Paul as a true apostle. Not one of the original 12 apostles, but a true apostle to the Gentiles. Some Jewish Christians tried to discredit his apostleship, but he defended his apostleship quite well. Then there is the affirmation of the apostle Peter. Surely all Christians believe that Peter was a true apostle (some even think he was the first Pope). Read what Peter said about Paul’s writings in 2 Peter 3:15 just as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given him, wrote to you, ¹⁶ as also in all his letters, speaking in them of these things, in which there are some things that are hard to understand, which the untaught and unstable distort, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures, to their own destruction.” Notice that Peter is saying that Paul’s letters are Scripture. That’s the word used many times of the old testament inspired writings. Peter is putting the letters of Paul on the same authority as old testament scripture. So if someon accepts Peter as an apostle, which most everyone does, then they should accept Paul’s letters as inspirred by the Spirit.

I thnk that wraps it up. Thanks for reading. I hope the arguments are clear and logical. I hope they are truth.

The question is simple: Did Jesus come the first time to set up a physical kingdom on earth? Many believe that he did. So when the Jewish leaders and most of the Jews rejected him as the Messiah, “they” say that he postponed the establishment of a physical kingdom until his 2nd coming. “They” say that, as a result of this postponement, he established the church as a “backup plan”, a “substitute”, a “stop-gap measure” until his 2nd coming when he will set up that physical kingdom. The church age is seen in this view as a “parenthesis” between the 1st and 2nd coming, but not what Jesus planned to set up to begin with.

The Bible teaches that Jesus did not come the 1st time to set up a physical kingdom. John 18:³⁶ Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.” This statement by Jesus destroys the idea of Jesus setting up a physical kingdom at his 1st or 2nd coming. It refutes the idea of a postponed physical kingdom. Period.

So did Jesus set up a kingdom in the 1st century? Yes. Jesus predicted that the establishment of his kingdom was “near”. Mark 1:¹⁴ Now after John was taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, ¹⁵ and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent and believe in the gospel.” The Greek word for “near” is eggizó: To draw near, to approach, to come near. It occurs 14 times in the Greek perfect tense (indicative mood) in the NT which expresses “extreme closeness, immediate imminence, whether in distance (as Jesus came “near” to Jerusalem) or time (the Passover was “near”). If Jesus did not set up his kingdom within the next soon after making this prediction, then he is a false prophet.

So if he did set up his kingdom soon in the first century, did he set up a physical kingdom? Of course not. Did he plan to set up a physical kingdom but postponed it? Nowhere does Jesus or the New Testament writers teach that. So if he did set up his kingdom in the first century and if it wasn’t a physical kingdom, then what type of kingdom did he set up. He set up a spiritual kingdom, the church. That is why the church is synonymous with the kingdom in Matthew 16:¹⁸ And I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.” When did Peter use those “keys” to open up the door into the kingdom of Jesus? In Acts 2 Peter preached the completed plan of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus to those who crucified Jesus. He told them to repent and be baptized for the remission of sins (2:38). 3,000 people obeyed Peter’s message and were saved that day. Acts 2:47 And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.” The church is the spiritual body of Jesus of which he is the head. It consists of all who have been saved by Jesus. Acts 2 is the record of the establishment of the church. Notice the connection with the kingdom: when Peter used those gospel “keys” in Acts 2, he opened the door into the kingdom, a spiritual kingdom, the church. The saved are in Jesus’ kingdom. Colossians 1:¹³ For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” Revelation 1:5 To Him who loves us and released us from our sins by His blood— ⁶ and He made us into a kingdom, priests to His God and Father—to Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

The church was not a substitute for a failed physical kingdom set up. It was a spiritual kingdom that God and Jesus planned to set up all along. In Ephesians 3 the apostle Paul said that he and the other apostles revealed God’s mystery plan of salvation, i.e. how God united Jew and Gentile believers into one body, the church. He added, Ephesians 3:⁸ To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, ⁹ and to enlighten all people as to what the plan of the mystery is which for ages has been hidden in God, who created all things; ¹⁰ so that the multifaceted wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. ¹¹ This was in accordance with the eternal purpose which He carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The church was part of God’s eternal plan of salvation and the means of spreading that message. It was not an “after-thought” or “unplanned substitute” for a failed physical kingdom plan.

So why does this matter? It matters because putting emphasis on a future physical kingdom takes away from the value of the church as part of God’s eternal plan. God is to be glorified in this spiritual body, the church. Ephesians 3:²¹ to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” The value of the church is minimized if it is not the “real thing” but a substitute for the real thing that will only come later at the 2nd coming. My kids are notorious for telling me on my birthday, “here is a little gift but the main gift is in the mail to be given to you later”. That minimizes the value of the little gift.

It is important to clarify what the church is. As stated, it is simply the saved of all nations all over the world. God is glorified when sinners are saved by the gospel and are added to Jesus’ church. Those saved then follow Acts 2:⁴² They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” In the first century, they did this in house churches. In persecuted countries like China, they still do it in house churches. God is glorified in those house churches as believers of all races come together to live for Jesus and spread the gospel to others. The confusion comes in when we ask, “is God glorified by all that is done in the name of “church” today”? Unfortunately not. To begin with, any church today that does not support and teach the basic truths of God’s word is not glorifying God. Paul said, 1 Timothy 3:¹⁴ I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; ¹⁵ but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one should act in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.” The LGBTQ supporting churches are not glorifying God, but their own false teaching. The churches that deny the deity, virgin birth, and miracles of Jesus (the Unitarian Universalists, the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the United Churches of Christ, the liberal wings of the Episcopal and other Protestant churches) are not glorifying God. The Roman Catholic Church was not glorifying God when it set up its empire. AI: “From an institutional and historical standpoint, the Roman Catholic Church functioned as both a spiritual entity and a physical, temporal kingdom. Over centuries, this fusion of worldly power and religious authority led to documented periods of systemic corruption, financial excess, and political manipulation.” Even the doctrinally conservative churches that spend 80% of contributions on staff and buildings are not honoring how God would want money donated in the name of Jesus to be spent. It is the “church business” that gets the honor with their beautiful, comfortable buildings and paid preachers that draw in members. Sure, they still do a lot of good but are they really honoring God’s wishes on spending his money? Are they setting up what Jesus wanted or are they setting up church businesses that glorify their own denominations and churches?

In conclusion, Jesus will not establish a physical kingdom at his 2nd coming. That was never his plan and will not be part of some future eschatological plan. All the churches and their preachers who put emphasis on a future physical kingdom (and the role of Israel in that kingdom) are distracting people from the here-and-now spiritual work of the true church. It’s like saying, “what we have in the church is not the real thing”. Much money and time is spent promoting pre-millennial and dispensational views of how that physical kingdom will be set up, all of which are false teaching if Jesus never intends to set up a physical kingdom. One last thought: if full preterism is true, then the 2nd coming happened in 70 AD and there is no future coming back of Jesus (I wrote many articles on that in my blog if you care to research that). If there is no future coming of Jesus, then obviously there is no future establishment of a physical kingdom.

The Bible contains numerous verses where God promises and describes the “promised land” of Israel as a place of ultimate security, physical abundance, and rest. Deuteronomy 33:28 “So Israel lives in security, The fountain of Jacob secluded, In a land of grain and new wine; His heavens also drip down dew. Deuteronomy 12:10: “But you will cross the Jordan and settle in the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and he will give you rest from all your enemies around you so that you will live in safety.” Deuteronomy 8:7-9: “For the Lord your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with brooks, streams, and deep springs gushing out into the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing. Leviticus 26:6: “I will grant peace in the land, and you will lie down and no one will make you afraid. I will remove wild beasts from the land, and the sword will not pass through your country.”

Notice the key words for what was promised Israel in the promised land of Canaan: security, rest, safety, peace, abundance. Those promises to Israel were conditional: they would lose all of them and the land if they disobeyed God. For example, God sent the Babylonians to remove Judah from the promised land for 70 years as a result of Judah’s continued sins.

The prophets anticipated Israel losing the land but then being restored to dwell in the land when the Messiah would come. Jeremiah 30:³ For behold, days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah.’ The Lord says, ‘I will also bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers, and they shall take possession of it.’” We know that promise would be fulfilled when the Messiah would come. 30:9  But they shall serve the Lord their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.” Anytime the prophets predicted a time when David would be the king of Israel, it is always figurative representing Jesus. When would that happen? 30:24 In the latter days you will understand this.” The phrase “the latter years” or “last days” predicted by the prophets always referred to the last days of the Jewish Age (from 30-70 AD). So Israel would be restored to their land before the end of the “latter years”, i.e. before 70 AD.

Another similar prediction: Ezekiel 36:²⁴ For I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the lands; and I will bring you into your own land.” When would that one be fulfilled? 36:²⁷ And I will put My Spirit within you and bring it about that you walk in My statutes, and are careful and follow My ordinances. ²⁸ And you will live in the land that I gave to your forefathers; so you will be My people, and I will be your God.” It would be fulfilled when God would pour out His Spirit on Israel. That was, again, in the last days of the Jewish Age beginning in Acts 2 when Joel’s prophecy of pouring out the Spirit on all believers in Jesus began to be fulfilled. The pouring out of the Spirit would continue throughout the 40 year last days from 30-70 AD. Anytime the prophets predicted the pouring out of the Spirit on Israel it always was predicting the pouring out of the miraculous in the last days of the Jewish Age from 30 to 70 AD. For example, Joel 2:38-32; Isaiah 44:3; Ezekiel 39:29. So the promise to bring Israel back to their land in Ezekiel 36:24 had to be fulfilled by 70 AD during the days of the pouring out of the miraculous Spirit on believers.

Another one: Ezekiel 37 and the valley of dry bones that come to life when God pours out His Spirit on them. Ezekiel 37:¹² Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Behold, I am going to open your graves and cause you to come up out of your graves, My people; and I will bring you into the land of Israel. ¹³ Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I have opened your graves and caused you to come up out of your graves, My people. ¹⁴ And I will put My Spirit within you and you will come to life, and I will place you on your own land. Then you will know that I, the Lord, have spoken and done it,” declares the Lord.’” Again, Israel would be placed on their land when God would put His Spirit on them, which would be fulfilled in the last days. Ezekiel 37 ends with another “David will be their king” passage, which again as in Jeremiah 30:9 refers to Jesus. Ezekiel 37:²⁴ “And My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd; and they will walk in My ordinances, and keep My statutes and follow them. ²⁵ And they will live on the land that I gave to My servant Jacob, in which your fathers lived; and they will live on it, they, and their sons and their sons’ sons, forever; and My servant David will be their leader forever. ²⁶ And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant with them. And I will place them (i.e. place them on their land, 37:14) and multiply them, and set My sanctuary in their midst forever. ²⁷ My dwelling place also will be among them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people. ²⁸ And the nations will know that I am the Lord who sanctifies Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forever.”’”

Notice how all these predictions end with “I will be their God and they will be My people”. Ezekiel 37 adds a new prediction that God would set His sanctuary in their midst forever. Or Ezekiel 43:7“This is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel forever.” The Hebrew word for sanctuary is miqdash or miqqedash: Sanctuary, holy place. It was used of the tabernacle in the wilderness and of the temple built by Solomon later. It was figuratively where God dwelt in the Holy of Holies although technically God dwells everywhere! The New Testament Greek equivalent of that word is naos: Temple, sanctuary and is used often of the 2nd temple that was still standing in Jerusalem when the New Testament books were written. This is the Greek word used twice in Revelation 21:²² I saw no temple (i.e. no physical temple) in it (i.e. in the New Jerusalem, the bride of Christ, the spiritual temple, the church), for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple (i.e. the dwelling of God in believers through the Holy Spirit makes them the new covenant spiritual temple). Paul says that the Spirit dwells in believers making them the temple of God, the dwelling place of God: 1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God (also 1 Corinthians 6:19). Another Greek equivalent for the Hebrew sanctuary is skéné: Tent, Tabernacle, Dwelling. That is the word used in Revelation 21:³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle (skene) of God is among the people, and He will dwell (skenoo) among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them. The Greek word for “dwell” is skénoó: To dwell, to tabernacle, to pitch a tent (derived from the word skene). That is the word for “dwell” in Revelation 21:3. It is the same word used in John 1:¹⁴ And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us.” Of course that refers to the Word Jesus making his dwelling or tabernacling among men for 30 years.

Technically, the tabernacle where God dwells is in heaven. That is where Jesus went into the Holy of Holies in heaven into the presence of the Father to offer His blood as the sacrifice for sins. Hebrews 8:1 Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, ² a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord set up, not man.” The old tabernacle was a type of the real true tabernacle where God dwelt in heaven. Revelation 11:¹⁹ And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple. Revelation 15:⁵ After these things I looked, and the temple of the tabernacle of testimony in heaven was opened,” So the true tabernacle or temple of God is in heaven where He dwells, but He set up a siritual temple or tabernacle or sanctuary on earth in the church where He dwells figuratively in believers.

The last Old Testament prediction of Israel being restored to their land is Amos 9:14 I will also restore the fortunes of My people Israel, and they will rebuild the desolated cities and live in them; They will also plant vineyards and drink their wine, and make gardens and eat their fruit. ¹⁵ I will also plant them on their land, and they will not be uprooted again from their land which I have given them,”says the Lord your God.” We know this was fulfilled by the time the Jerusalem conference met in Acts 15. Amos 9:11 also predicted, ““On that day I will raise up the fallen shelter of David.” In Acts 15:14-16 James says that the fallen tabernacle of David prophesy had been fulfilled by the time he spoke, allowing the Gentiles to enter the church. That would mean that Amos 9:14-15 had been fulfilled.

So my belief is that all the Old Testament prediction of Israel being restored to the land had been fulfilled in the first century by 70 AD. But Israel did not receive the promised land literally when the Messiah Jesus came. A million wicked Jews who rejected Jesus as the Messiah were killed by the Romans in 70 AD when they destroyed the temple and Jerusalem. So the predictions were not fulfilled literally by 70 AD, but they were fulfilled figuratively. How so? Again, notice the key words for what was promised Israel in the promised land of Canaan: security, rest, safety, peace, abundance. The believing remnant of the Jewish nation did receive a spiritual kingdom of security, rest, peace, spiritual blessings. The question might be, “Where did the Jewish church dwell?” What is this spiritual, figurative land that they received in the first century? In John 10 Jesus said, “²⁷ My sheep listen to My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; ²⁸ and I give them eternal life, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. ²⁹ My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. ³⁰ I and the Father are one.” The believing remnant found peace, security, rest and spiritual blessings dwelling figuratively in the hands of Jesus and the Father.

A key in this discussion is recognizing that the prophets predicted that the believing remnant would get the land, and not the whole nation. The majority of the nation recieved judgment and death in 70 AD. Romans 9-11 deals with this issue. Paul argues that it might look like God did not fulfill His promises to Israel, but that He did fulfill all HIs promises. But the caveat was that he only made those Messianic spiritual promises to the remnant who would accept Jesus and not to the whole nation. Those Old Testament promises and predictions symbolized the Kingdom of God, spiritual rest, and the ultimate reward of eternal life.

So, in conclusion, the Old Testament predictions of Israel being restored to their land was not fulfilled, as many teach today, in1948 AD when the U.N. gave Israel statehood and a large portion of Palestine. There was no event that happened past 70 AD that fulfilled those predictions.

I close with a quote from Alex Polyak who has a great website called thebiblefulfilled.com (I highly recommend you go to that site and read his articles and watch his videos. “This video takes a deep dive into the biblical land promise to Abraham and shows from Scripture how that promise was already fulfilled in Israel’s history (Joshua 21:43-45 says that under Joshua’ leadership the Isreeal received “all the land God had promised them”) and ultimately completed in Jesus Christ. Many Christians today believe the modern return to Palestine in 1948 and future expansion of Israel’s borders are prophetic fulfillments—but the Bible itself tells a different story. By examining key passages from Genesis, Joshua, Nehemiah, Hebrews, and the New Testament, this teaching explains how Israel did receive the physical land (i.e. under Joshua), how that land served as a type and shadow, and how Christ brought believers into the true promised land—the heavenly Jerusalem and the spiritual rest promised to Abraham’s seed.”

I had a thought that encouraged me this morn. I’m on our back porch listening to some acapella praise songs and starting my prayer time. I’m looking out over a patio down the steps from the porch. On the back line of our lot here is a solid row of very tall evergreens that hide the houses behind our lot, so it feels a little like nature even though it is in a suburban subdivision. Above the evergreens I see the sky which is cloudy this morning with a slight chance for rain later today. I always start my prayer time picturing the throne scenes in Revelation 4 and 5. First, the angels and 4 living creatures are praising the Father on the throne. Then Jesus, the Lamb standing as if slain, appears at the right hand of the Father and the praise is directed toward the Son. The scene closes with praise for both the Father and the Son on the throne.

As I begin my prayer with those images, another image comes to mind. I can see the face of Jesus in those clouds above the evergreens. I don’t know what form Jesus has taken since he ascended to the Father’s right hand after the resurrection. But I assume that He can take any form He wants and appear to people today. Many converted Muslims claim to have seen Jesus as part of their conversion. How can I doubt that? So I see Jesus’ face in the clouds and he looks at me. He knows all the little secrets I am hiding from people. I can open up and confess those things, which is humbling, and ask forgiveness. That’s kinda like when Jesus was on trial in the high priest’s palace and Peter is outside warming up by the fire, denying 3 times that he even knows Jesus. Luke 22:61 In this verse, right after Peter denies Jesus for the third time and the rooster crows, the Bible notes: “The Lord turned and looked straight at Peter”. This gaze caused Peter to remember Jesus’ prophecy that he would deny Him three times, prompting Peter to leave the courtyard and weep bitterly. Only Luke records that and he got that from some eyewitness (Luke 1:1-4). I wonder who he got that very private information from. Luke wrote his gospel probably late 50’s AD, so maybe he got it from Peter who died in the mid 60’s. It is interesting that neither Matthew nor Mark record that moment. The critics say that Luke and Matthew copied a lot of their gospels from Mark, but here is something that Luke has that is not in Mark, which makes us think Luke did not copy from Mark. He did his own investigative reporting.

But as I look at the face of Jesus staring at me, it makes me think about what happened after He looked at Peter. Jesus would go from the high priest to Pilate and be crucified by 9 AM that morning. So the face of Jesus then fades off onto a cross in the back corner of our lot. I see him suffering and dying for my sins and it helps me focus on the things that really matter today as I go about my business and pleasure. But wait, another image appears in the sky while Jesus is on that cross on the back corner of my lot. It is the face of a white haired, ancient looking father figure, the Father. He looks at me, and then he looks at his Son Jesus on the cross, and then He looks back at me. I can see His tears of love for His Son and for me. I get the sense that He is telling me that He loves me and is in control and that I need to quit worrying about things all the time, that I need to trust Him, to “let go and let God”.

One last image this morning on my porch. I am kinda making up and adding a few images but the ones about the face of Jesus and the face of the Father were real to me this morning. One last image that I add is Jesus being taken off that cross, buried on the opposite corner in the back of the lot, and then I imagine Him being raised from the dead and ascending to the Father. So my images end with the face of the ascended Jesus looking at me now, which was the very first image I saw this morning, telling me to go find someone to love, to help, to share His story with. So that is what I am going to try to do.

I hope this helps you see the face of the Father and Son in your prayer life. Too often we just say words, even praise, but don’t see anything. It helps to see the Father and Son.