Hi S/8: Fantastic that you are doing "independent thinking" while "still in." ;-)
Along with all of the other well-informed posts, I would offer a much more "simple" suggestion for reading/understanding Matthew 24 and any other Gospel "last days" chapters/verses...
First off, everything Jesus said in the Gospels was strictly for the House of Israel and did NOT apply to Gentiles (then or now):
Matthew 15:24: "But He answered and said, "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the HOUSE OF ISRAEL."
Secondly, all the 12 apostles were told also to go ONLY to the House of Israel, and NOT to any Gentiles:
Matthew 10:5,6: "These twelve Jesus sent out and COMMANDED them, saying: "DO NOT GO INTO THE WAY OF THE GENTILES, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the HOUSE OF ISRAEL."
Conclusion: Every scripture in the Gospels re: the "Last Days" applies to the House of Israel and Jesus' dealings with them solely. The entire Bible (excepting the Pauline Epistles) were directed to and have to do with God's dealings with the House of Israel. Every book written by every Bible writer (except for Paul) were written FOR THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL.
And that makes understanding scripture a piece of cake.
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So where does that leave Gentile believers?
The Lord commissioned Paul exclusively to go to the Gentiles. He was chosen "outside the camp," so to speak, apart from the 12, and was given the special exclusive commission to go to the Gentiles.
Romans 11:13: "For I speak to you Gentiles; inasmuch as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry..."
Romans 15:16: "...that I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles..."
Galatians 1:16: "...to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles..."
Galatians 2:9: "...and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we [should go] to the Gentiles and THEY TO THE CIRCUMCISED." (ie, House of Israel. Hence, anything in the letters of James, Cephas, John, etc. are directed to the House of Israel and NOT the Gentiles).
Ephesians 3:1: "For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles..."
Ephesians 3:8: "To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ..."
1 Timothy 2:7: "...for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle -- I am speaking the truth in Christ [and] not lying -- a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth."
2 Timothy 1:11: "...to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles."
Therefore, if you want to know what applies to Gentile believers (a/k/a the "Body of Christ," a/k/a "the Church," during the "Age of Grace" a/k/a the "Age of the Gentiles," read Paul.
"Try it on for size" -- in other words, just keep this "suggestion" in the back of your mind when doing Bible reading/research, and see how it "measures up." For me, personally, it clarifies things enormously... not to mention how it "simplifies" all the confusion created when all the prophecies (for Israel vs. the Church) are all mixed together.
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So where does that leave us re: the "Last Days" specifically?
If the House of Israel had accepted Jesus, even after his ascension, there was still "time" for them to accept Jesus on the preaching of the 12 for several more years (ie, BEFORE the Lord sent Paul to the Gentiles), then the Lord would have returned in their generation and they WOULD have had their Kingdom THEN.
But of course the Lord, being all knowing, knew they would continue to reject him en masse, and therefore the second part of the promise of Abraham became active, ie, that "ALL nations" would eventually be blessed through Abraham, and so the Lord commissioned Paul to go to the Gentiles for this reason.
Romans 11:11: "I say then, have they [the House of Israel] stumbled that they should fall? Certainly not! But through their fall, to provoke them to jealousy, salvation [has come] to the Gentiles. Now if their fall [is] riches for the world, and their failure riches for the Gentiles, how much more their fullness!" [ie, God is NOT done w/Israel, as the WT teaches; but He intends to "graft them back in again" once the "Age of the Gentiles" is fulfilled]:
Romans 11:25: "For I do not desire, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this MYSTERY, lest you should be wise in your own opinion, that blindness in part has happened to Israel UNTIL the fullness of the Gentiles has come in."
This gathering in of the Gentiles was unknown to the original 12. That's why they "fought" with Paul about it, and were wanting Gentile converts to be circumcised, etc. This gathering in of the Gentiles was a "MYSTERY" to them, until it was revealed to Paul. Eventually the 12 came to understand and appreciate this "revelation," as described further above:
Galatians 2:9: "...and when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that had been given to me, they gave me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that WE [should go] TO THE GENTILES and THEY TO THE CIRCUMCISED." [ie, House of Israel. Hence, anything in the letters of James, Cephas, John, etc. are directed to the House of Israel; and Paul's letters are FOR THE GENTILES].
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"Pauline Dispensationalism" which can also be referred to as "dividing the word of truth aright" -- ie, dividing what books and scriptures apply to the House of Israel and what books/verses apply to the "Body of Christ" -- will make scripture "light up" in a clear, crisp and succinct way.
Now, no one has to agree with me about this... it's offered as "something to think about" for S/8 whose thread this is. It's what I've learned in more recent times and it was like a "LIGHT BULB" moment, and everything became easier to understand than ever before.
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Prophetic Timeline - in its simplest outline:
When the "fullness of the Gentiles has come in" (Rom. 11:25), then the "blinders" on Israel as a whole will come off (same verse).
The Body of Christ (Gentiles, and Jewish believers who had the good sense to "wake up" during the time of the Gentiles or "Church Age") will be taken out of the way = "caught up to meet the Lord in the clouds in the air" (1 Thess. 4:17).
Then the Lord will focus his attention again on the House of Israel.
The "worthless shepherd" -- the stranger "who comes in his own name" will appear as the false messiah to the House of Israel, and all but a remnant will be deceived:
Zechariah 11:16,17: "For indeed I will raise up a shepherd in the land [who] will not care for those who are cut off, nor seek the young, nor heal those that are broken, nor feed those that still stand. But he will eat the flesh of the fat and tear their hooves in pieces. Woe to the worthless shepherd, Who leaves the flock! A sword [shall be] against his arm And against his right eye; His arm shall completely wither, And his right eye shall be totally blinded."
John 5:43: "I have come in My Father's name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive."
Romans 9:27: "Isaiah also cries out concerning Israel: "Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, The remnant will be saved."
Romans 11:5: "Even so then, at this present time there is a remnant according to the election of grace."
Revelation 11:13: "And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven."
Revelation 12:17: "And the dragon was wroth with the woman [House of Israel], and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."
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The "last days" prophecies of Matthew 24, Luke 21, Mark 13, Peter, James, John, Revelation, etc., all apply during the seven-year (1-week) reign of the "stranger" and "worthless shepherd" -- everything, including the "gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come" will occur during this same time-frame, and it will be done by the 144,000 literal "Jewish virgins" who "follow the Lamb wherever he goes."
Notice, too, it's the GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM that will be preached. All KINGDOM prophecies apply to the House of Israel, and which they will eventually experience right here on earth. That is THEIR reward for faithfulness. But the reward of the Christian believer (gathered during the Age of Grace) is a HEAVENLY Reward. It's like a "special treat" for them because they believed, whereas the Lord's OWN PEOPLE did not (most of them anyway).
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More from Matthew 24:
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
The "abomination of desolation" is when the "worthless shepherd/stranger" defiles the rebuilt 3rd Temple (which is already well along in its plans) and this will occur at the mid-way point of the 7-year tribulation or after 3.5 years (or times, times and half a time) or 42 months or 1,260 days. It is at that time that "those in Judea should flee to the mountains," etc. It is also at this mid-way point that the GREAT TRIBULATION begins, ie, the FIRST 3.5 years are known as simply the TRIBULATION, but the LAST 3.5 years, after the antichrist defiles the temple, are known as the GREAT TRIBULATION as Jesus describes above in vs. 21. -- And, btw, the "elect" referred to are NOT GENTILES but members of the HOUSE OF ISRAEL.
This all "jives" with the prohecies in Daniel -- which was a book for HIS PEOPLE, the House of Israel, and NOT GENTILES:
"At that time Michael shall stand up, the great prince who stands watch over the sons of YOUR PEOPLE [ie, Daniel's people specifically]; and there shall be a TIME OF TROUBLE, SUCH AS NEVER WAS SINCE THERE WAS A NATION [ie, NATION OF ISRAEL], even to that time" (Daniel 12:1).
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Continuing w/Matthew 24 -- remembering that these events will occur DURING the 7-year Tribulation when the "Body of Christ" (Gentile/Jewish believers who believed on the Lord during the Gentile Age) have already been "caught away" to be with the Lord...
23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here [is] Christ, or there; believe [it] not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive the very elect. ["elect" are members of the House of Israel]. 25 Behold, I have told you before. 26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, [he is] in the secret chambers; believe [it] not. 27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. [the VISIBLE return of Christ occurs at the end of the 7-years of Tribulation -- a/k/a the "Time of Jacob's Trouble" - Jeremiah 30:7] . 28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. 29 IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TRIBULATION OF THOSE DAYS shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 AND THEN SHALL APPEAR THE SIGN OF THE SON OF MAN IN HEAVEN: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
Once Jesus returns and saves the Jewish-remnant concentrated in the Middle East and who are on the verge of extinction at the hands of the "false shepherd," He will gather the rest who are still scattered about -- Matt. 24:31 and...
"'So then, the days are coming,' declares the LORD, 'when people will no longer say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,' but they will say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the descendants of Israel up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.' Then they will live in their own land'" (Jeremiah 23:7-8).
"'Therefore do not fear, O My servant Jacob,' says the LORD, 'nor be dismayed, O Israel; for behold, I will save you from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return, have rest and be quiet, and no one shall make him afraid'" (Jeremiah 30:10).
"See, I will bring them from the land of the north and gather them from the ends of the earth. Among them will be the blind and the lame, expectant mothers and women in labor; a great throng will return. They will come with weeping; they will pray as I bring them back ... I will lead them ... because I am Israel's father, and Ephraim is my firstborn son'" (Jeremiah 31:8-9).
"On that day you will not be put to shame for all the wrongs you have done to me ... But I will leave within you the meek and humble, who trust in the name of the LORD. The remnant of Israel will do no wrong; they will speak no lies, nor will deceit be found in their mouths. They will eat and lie down and no one will make them afraid" (Zephaniah 3:11-13).
Once Christ rescues the descendants of ancient Israel from this "time of Jacob's trouble" in the last days, He will use them to fulfill the role their forefathers agreed to carry out in the time of Moses. THEY will be the world's model people, a nation of teachers, a kingdom of priests (Exodus 19:6; compare Deuteronomy 4:5-8; Zechariah 8:23) -- and NOT any of the WT's so-called "anointed class."
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See how clear it is when you stop and think: WHO was this written to? Israel or the "Gentile Age church"? It's pretty clear which are written to Israel. Start with that premise -- even as an "experiment" -- and see how it goes... "feel it out"... "try it out"... and ask the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, Guide and Teacher, to show you...
For more info -- if desired:
http://www.withchrist.org/MJS/index.htm
http://withchrist.org/MJS/pauline.htm
http://withchrist.org/pauldisp.htm
http://withchrist.org/our.htm
http://www.lesfeldick.org/
http://www.lesfeldick.org/lestimel.html
http://www.lesfeldick.org/plan4hvn.html
http://www.lesfeldick.org/lesqa.html
Hope this helps! (ie, makes things LESS complicated and not MORE SO).
Blessings,
/abbagail
PS: Oh, it helps if you understand the "lie" of "replacement theology" which the WT teaches, first:
http://www.watch.org/showprint.php3?idx=64261&mcat=1&rtn=/index.html
and
http://www.therefinersfire.org/replacement_theology.htm
