QUESTIONS ON
MATTHEW 24:40
answered
by
Keith Hunt
Question:
I have been hearing yet another teaching on this and that is that
when the Scripture refers to two in the field and one taken, the
one taken is the one destroyed; some believing that they are
taken and destroyed at the battle of Armageddon, and reference
the Scripture where the body is there will the eagles be gathered
together.
Answer:
I have never heard that teaching above.
I find it very strange idea. Just does not fit the context at
all. And further, nothing in Mat. 24 says anything about either
party being destroyed. The one left on earth at the
resurrection will be in various parts of the earth, just as the
one taken in the resurrection will be in various parts of the
earth, to be gathered by the angels and led to Christ. The battle
of Armageddon is in a specific location and with ARMIES of the
earth, ALL in that battle with be destroyed. Just does not fit at
all with Mat.24. I find that idea very strange indeed.
I guess I missed explaining verse 28 of Matt. 24. Really quite
simple if kept in the context. Jesus has just said and talked
about His COMING as lightening, then the verses after also talk
about His coming and the gathering of the saints to Him at the
trumpet sound. No mistaking it. The context is the literal day of
Christ's return to this earth and the gathering of the saints to
Him. All that verse 28 is saying is that Jesus will come and the
saints will be there with Him. The example He gives must not be
taken too literally. Jesus is the carcase (the object, the focal
point of the whole scene) and to that focal point the saints (the
eagles) will be gathered. This is the true meaning of verse 28 as
shown by what Jesus went on to explain in verses 29-31.
Those verses give the interpretation of verse 28. The Bible
interprets itself.
Question:
Do you agree with the WCG teaching that the woman in Rev 12
refers to the church or do you feel that when taking those
Scriptures in their context, that the woman is referring to
Israel and verse 17 is speaking of the church?
Answer:
I've heard this idea above, the last idea you give. I have
problems with it. Yes, you could say the first part is Israel,
and the church later. Christ, the man child, was born
from Judah, who was part of Israel. BUT, I do not see the context
but using "Woman" all the way through, from start to finish. God
could have used the word Israel for He used it in chapter 11. I
agree with the old teaching of the WCG on this. Woman from start
to finish means church, the true Church of God, which is the
true called out ones who were the children of God from Adam or
from Jacob at least as verse one may be taking us back to Jacob s
time. Let me explain. From the time of Jacob, and his offspring
(Israel and the sons of) God was working with mainly one group of
people.
Only SOME in that group were converted and had God's Spirit. I
know you understand all that. Hence, in a strict and specific
way, the true children of God were WITHIN Israel as a whole
people. Hence God, had His true church - the woman - those with
His Spirit, who will be in the first resurrection, right from the
time of Jacob Israel and his sons. From among and from within
those people who were the true woman of God within the whole
peoples of Israel, the Son of God was to be born and come forth.
Mary was one lady who was a member and part of the very spiritual
family of God, a member of the woman true people of God, who had
His Spirit. She the literal woman and she the woman of the true
spiritual children of God brought forth the man child whom Satan
tried to devour. Satan was not only attacking the literal child,
but was in effect attacking the woman true church of the children
of God. God has always had His woman church, members of His
family, those led by His Spirit, on this earth from the time of
Jacob/Joseph Israel, where this prophecy begins. It was this true
woman church or people of God that fled into the wilderness
(v.6).
The prophecy is constant throughout. The woman from start to
finish is the woman church or the body of people who were always
there as God's children led by His Spirit, there at the time of
Jacob/Joseph Israel, at the time of Mary from whom Jesus came,
and who will be there at the time of the end when Satan will once
more attack her in no small way.
Question:
I do agree with your article but would like to make one comment
about Christ's coming.
The true saints should recognize who the two witnesses are by
what they are preaching, then the saints will know that the two
witnesses will prophesy for exactly 1260 days, and that at the
end of those days they will be killed and their bodies will
lay in the streets of Jerusalem for exactly three and one half
days. At the end of that precise period of time the seventh
trumpet will sound and the resurrection will occur since the
resurrection will occur at the same time they are resurrected.
With God being so specific, how can the saints NOT know the day
of Christ's coming?
Answer:
I'm really glad you brought this up Marie. Once more remember
Jesus said no one could know the DAY nor the hour of His coming
ONLY the Father. And Jesus also said, in a day we THINK NOT He
will come. How then does this jive with what you brought out
above. Often we jump to putting meanings into verses or words
that are just not specific and hence we often can make mistakes.
The mistake MAYBE in this part of Rev. 11 has been to THINK it is
referring to THE resurrection of ALL the saints to IMMORTALITY,
that the two witnesses are IN when they are resurrected. The
words of Rev.11 just DO NOT SAY this!! Nothing is there about
THE last trump sounding. Nothing is there about ALL the saints
being resurrected WITH them.
Nothing is there about their resurrection being to IMMORTAL
life.... ah get that. It is not told us that they were raised to
IMMORTAL life. Only the spirit of life entered them. The
Greek.... the breath of life entered them. It's the common
Greek word used dozens of times for breath. This could well be a
PHYSICAL resurrection only.
There is no proof it is a resurrection to immortal life at the
last trump with all the rest of the saints. Elijah was taken up
into heaven also, into the clouds, not very high up.
The third woe is yet to come so the context says. Jesus has not
quite yet returned. So the 7th trumpet has not yet sounded when
these two witnesses are resurrected. It is to come quickly, but
what does quickly mean? The same day? One more days? Two more
days? maybe a week? Do we see what could happen IF I am correct
on this and the raising of the two witnesses is only to physical
life and removal to protection from their enemies? People may
have forgotten Jesus said He would come in an hour when we least
expected Him to come. They are looking to be with the two
witnesses in a resurrection. They see they are still standing in
the flesh, they do not see Jesus in the clouds...maybe a day goes
by, maybe two days or more goes by, and they are still in the
flesh, with no Jesus coming as lightning in the clouds. They
could think the whole thing is make-believe and loose faith,
because they were set in their minds that when the two witnesses
were raised up it would be the resurrection of all saints to
immortality and the very coming of Jesus, when Revelation 11 says
no such thing.
Ah, now do you see that we better be very careful in how we read
certain verses.
The best plan for anyone in any age is to remember what Jesus
taught. We cannot know the day, no one does EXCEPT the Father. He
may come in a day we least expect Him to come, and we had better
be always ready in our minds and life for His coming. As many
have known, Jesus coming for each one of us, is as close as
taking our last breath. If we die this second as I'm typing this,
the next second of life for me is the last trump and the
resurrection to glory on the day of Jesus's coming.
Question:
Another set of Scriptures which gives a specific period of time
is Daniel 12, which says that Daniel will rest and then stand in
his lot (referring to his standing in the first resurrection) at
the end of a specific number of days. Daniel 12 also says that
the understanding of these days is sealed up until the time of
the end and at that time the WISE WILL UNDERSTAND.
If there were no Scriptures in the bible which give specific
events to watch and specific number of days to countdown to the
resurrection, I would say it would be true that we cannot know.
Answer:
Another mistake being made by many on this. The days mentioned
are specific okay, but specific for what? Not one word says
anything about the resurrection to glory here.
Nothing here about a last trump. The days do mean something
alright, but EXACTLY what is not given....a blessing for those
that wait till the end of 1, 335 days, but what is the blessing?
The verses do not say. But people read into them that it MUST
BE the last trump and the resurrection to immortality of the
saints, and hence Jesus's return.
But the verses do not say any such thing. Did Jesus KNOW these
verses were in the Bible? Sure he did! Did Jesus know what these
verse were all about? Sure He did! He knew and He knows today
when they will start. He knows the blessing for those who wait
till the end of them BUT, in knowing those verses were in
Daniel and knowing what they were all about, He STILL TAUGHT us
that no one can ever know the day or the hour of His coming, ONLY
the Father knows it. He still taught that He may come in a day we
would least except it. Now, verse 13 of Dan.12. Again, many
ASSUME that when Daniel stands at the end of the days it will
be ON the last day of the days or at least the NEXT day AFTER the
last day of the days, hence they THINK this will be the last
trump day and the resurrection of the saints to glory day, and
Christ s day of His return. BUT, it does not say such a thing!!
What it says is that Daniel will not stand UNTIL the end of those
days. This it says. So we do know those days MUST COME before
Daniel is resurrected to glory (along with all the other saints
of all ages), but that is really all it says. The verse is just
not that specific in telling us that Daniel will be resurrected
on the last day of those days. The verse leaves enough room and
doubt in what it says or does not say that once more a false and
wrong date setting could be decided upon by some. Hence IF the
resurrection does not come on the last day of those days
(supposing God's people do know the exact start to the day of
those days) some could loose faith and begin to eat and drink
with the drunkards and not be doing their Lord's will when He
does come. These verses in Daniel CANNOT contradict what we have
seen that Jesus specifically taught regarding the very day of
His coming.
Question:
I have heard so many ministers put down and poo-poo any attempt
to make charts and set dates and can understand this since so
many wrong dates have been set.
And I certainly agree that the principle of being ready at any
time is true since we could die at any time and the next instant
for us would be the resurrection. But who are the WISE THAT WILL
UNDERSTAND if you go around preaching and making the brethren
believe that it is impossible to know and close their minds to
any meditation of these Scriptures which DO SET DATES?
Answer:
I hope you can now see that there is NO Scripture in the entirety
of God's word that sets a date to the literal day that Jesus will
come and set His feet on this good green earth. All that will try
to do so are reading into verses something that is just not
there.
Hence, Jesus words concerning that day are not contradicted
anywhere in the Bible.
....................................
Written January 2000
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