Matthew 24:15-21; Matthew 24:32-35 | Abomination of Desolation | Partial Preterist | Eschatology

Matthew 24 and the New Covenant Framework

Alright, so.

Our text today is Matthew 24 32 to 35. Matthew 24 32 to 35, please pray to me. I'm God and Father we come to you in the name of Jesus Christ. For we your people filled with your spirit ask you to bless us or be with us as we walk through this text.

Give us understanding and enlightenment. Help us to walk away from what we've heard today. Knowing that Jesus is Christ. And that he is who he said. That we can have this foundation in him alone. We are children of God.

Oh God be with me. I pray that I've done my due diligence. Pray that you would use me this day to feed your people in Christ's name.

Amen.

All right. So just a quick overview.

Lastly.

Covenant theology and so like the difference because we as Baptists we have to what's called Baptist.

And so.

So covenant theology is basically in the sense that we believe that God deals with his people in Covenants. He is made of covenants. We believe that there's three covenants. We have the the eternal covenant of redemption this is where God the Father chose a people and the father sends his son and In time to die for this people and that the Holy Spirit throughout time through the preaching of the gospel Convicts converts comforts this people.

And so this would be the what's called the covenants of Redemption. And then there's what's called the covenant of works Covenant of works. This would be what we would call the Oh Covenant. And I gave they an analogy last week about a house.

I said imagine if I was to give you a house the house is yours. The only condition was was that you have to give me $700 a week. As long as you can give me seven hundred dollars a week. You can remain in that house.

And I pointed how this.

Analogy.

Was.

Was of the old covenant the covenant of works. God gave the old covenant to the to the Israelite people. He put them in the land of Canaan. And he says this is your land the land that I have afforded you the land flowing with milk and with honey but in order to stay in this land, you have to keep my Commandments and as we know we walk through.

They did not keep this commandment. So they were taken into Babylonian captivity. The temple was destroyed. That was desolation. He puts them back into the land. They did the same thing. They did not keep his command.

So Jesus this refers to the eternal covenant when he comes into time. When he comes into time He brings in what's called the new covenant. And as Baptists We hope to have Baptist covenant theology because we believe that if you trace it from Moses all the way onto the whole Testament and to David those that went to paradise those that went to the bosom of Abraham were those that had faith in the promise not those That kept the covenant.

Because the old covenant was never a promise for eternal salvation. It was only a promise for the inheritance of the land. Keep this cup keep this covenant keep these commands and live in the land. Break them and you will be removed from the land that eternal life as always been always been through faith.

Faith in the promise and so we see promises being given throughout the Old Testament. And all these promises are pointing to the covenant of redemption that will take place in time the birth death birth life death resurrection ascension of Jesus Christ.

So that's.

Better is that through Christ the analogy I gave you was that I'm going to give you a house. And yes, I'm charging $700 a month for the house, but I'm going to give you $700. So we know that the requirement The New Covenant requirement is faith and repentance.

So the conditions to be in the New Covenant is faith and repentance and the Bible clearly teaches that faith is the gift of God and that Repentance is granted and that's why the New Covenant is better than the old covenant.

God did not give a condition in the old covenant I mean he gave a condition, but he did not give him the condition. He gave him a condition that they must be long, but he did not give them the way the means by which they fulfilled.

New covenant.

Faith and repentance is a gift that's granted to us and so last week We're walking through Matthew 24 and we're looking at the old covenant system and how it's being torn down. Jesus has come and he's come to tear down the old covenant system.

And so we looked at Matthew 24 look at verses 3 through 14. We saw that it's speaking of the signs of the end. And in this I'm in a declaration and it's not speaking of the end of the world but the end of the age.

We're here Translation if you have a King James Bible the word for In verse 3 at the end of verse 3 says tell us when all these things be and what will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age.

If the king if you have a King James Bible, we saw that it would say the end of the world. But the Greek there is a on it's not Cosmo so the word Cosmo in the Greek actually means the whole world and here we see the word a Aeon, which means a period of time in age.

But also there's another word here for world and we see that it was Boy come in a and it meant the inhabited world at that time so in this he gives Signs of the ends. He gives what's called the birth pains and we saw that the birth pains were wars famines and earthquakes.

And I walked through the text with you and showed you that.

That there was.

Rumors of war because they were under what was called a Roman peace. And so we walked through some text and I showed you Rumors wars and how that was breaking out. They said that they would be famines and earthquakes.

We walked through the book of Acts and we walked through the gospel Matthew. As prophesied after Jesus is dead. We saw that they were famines in the world. There was it said the whole world with the work world at ease was boy Come in a which meant the the inhabited earth.

And then we saw that there was earthquakes and then it tells us that there will be.

Lawlessness.

It says that lawlessness will increase and then I pointed out that the lawlessness that it's talking about is the preaching of another Christ or Someone coming claiming to be Christ. The Bible itself doesn't give us an explicit text of someone claiming to be Christ.

But I walked through and showed you how people were teaching a different price. And I showed you Lawlessness was preaching another Christ or someone claiming to be Christ. It was the persecution of Christians and false prophets.

And saw again I walked you through and showed you how in the scripture teaches that people were teaching a different Christ. I showed you where the disciples and those that were following Jesus were being persecuted.

We even looked at the Fox's Book of Martyrs and showed how all of them died. And we went through and we looked at false prophets. We saw the Judaizers Rising up and they were preaching a different gospel and this gospel that they was preaching was old covenant.

Dude, it was the.

Observance of the old covenant law keep this law and live in the land. So we have Jesus coming in Matthew 24 saying this land is about to be taken away from. It's about to be taken away. So our theme for today again is the same as last week Learn a lesson from the victory.

My proposition is this By understanding what Jesus meant by this generation We can put a time stamp on the prophesied events in Matthew.

Chapter 24.

So when we read Matthew 24 We'll understand what exactly that he's talking about. Is this our past? Is this our present? Or is this our future? And so I'll pose the question each week, why should you care about the subject of eschatology?

My answer this week is because Your view of eschatology will determine your interpretation of the Great Commission. The Great Commission which is found in Matthew 28 Beginning in verse 18. It says this Jesus said all authority in heaven.

So he's saying that all authority all the authority that heaven has to offer Has been Given to me pointing to himself. So all authority in heaven and on earth is given to me. Is this Commission go therefore?

Why do you go? But therefore means because all authority in heaven and earth is given to Christ. Because of all because of all the authority in heaven and earth is given to Christ. You need to go therefore.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations Baptizing them in the name of the Father Son and the Holy Spirit Teaching them to observe all that I've commanded you and behold. I am with you always.

To the.

To the end of the age and I'm gonna add in beyond. The key point here that That Jesus is making is that we are to disciple all nations. That's why we know that it don't just stop it when he says it to the end of the age.

Because we can look back in history and we know that all nations have not been disciple. Even if he was to just focus on that one piece of land those nations had not been disciple.

The message.

But the nations had not been the cycle and so it comes down to this. Either the nations are going to be the cycle or they are they're not. Really when it comes to eschatology, there's two views pessimism.

Pessimism and Optimism. Optimism. My straight lingo kind of gets involved interferes with my bridge, you know you can either have a downward look on where the Christian Church is going in the future or you can have a Upward look like but we can be actually going somewhere in time.

And that's what it comes down to all other views outside of post-millennialism. Have a view to where the church is going to fall by wayside and be destroyed. Now I know I'm in the minority here when I say that I do not believe that at all.

I believe that Christianity will be victorious. I Believe that every knee will bow and that every tongue will confess. What my confess is every day and that is that Jesus Christ is Lord and it's to the glory of God the Father.

I Believe that I don't care what this world looks like right now around me. I believe that our every knee will bow down and their tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. That Jesus is in heaven right now.

He's putting all enemies under his feet and I know that for sure because I was once an enemy. And you if you're a believer in Christ, you are an enemy of God. You hated God. You shook your fist at God and then one day you heard the gospel and your heart was changed and you were foot stool.

You were foot stool. So I believe that I believe that we're going somewhere in time. But that Jesus Christ is not gonna have to swoop down here and rescue his church from under the tyranny. But I believe that those are in the tyranny are going to bow their knee to Christ.

Why? Those two Christians are going to preach the gospel. Jesus Christ is going to save the world just like Matthew 3 17 says He did not send his son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world through him might be.

Saved.

Purpose of Christ coming into the world was to redeem the world as far as the curse is found. It will be redeemed and I know I take the minority position here. I Truly believe that's what the Bible teaches.

The Fig Tree, This Generation, and the Temple's Destruction

So in our text today Matthew 24 32 through 35, please look there with me. This is the what's called the lesson of the fig tree. Jesus speaking to them. He says from the fig tree learn its lesson. As soon as you see its branches becoming tender and putting out its leaves, you know that Summer is near.

So also when you see all these things, you know that he is near at the very gate. Truly truly I say to you this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

And just to do a little quick overview of this we have the Antecedent to the big tree is found in verse chapter 21. Jesus sees the big tree by the wayside. He's hungry. He wants some food. There is no fruit on it.

It's a leaves only tree. He ends up cursing that big tree and it withers at once. So when he says learn a lesson from the big trees pointing back to the big tree in chapter 21. And then he makes it clear.

That.

This generation the near demonstrative the people that he is speaking to he's saying that this generation not a future generation. He didn't say the generation that sees these things or that generation.

He says this generation. When they see these things He says truly this generation will not pass away and so all these things take place. So all these things that take place is speaking from verse 3 All the way up until this verse so we know What Jesus is saying that all these things have to take place in that generation.

So it's either going to happen either happened or it didn't. That's what we're left with. It either happened or it didn't and he says that heaven and earth will pass away. And I mentioned that at the Jewish teaching of heaven and earth was the temple.

The temple of God is where heaven and earth met that's where the earthly men could meet with God. The heaven and earth. And we know that the temple did pass away, but his word did not pass away. So he says heaven and earth will pass away.

This is going to happen. He's saying but my words will not pass away.

So.

So our outline today we will be seeking to learn the lesson from the big tree. And I pointed out that I believe that this big tree parable gives us three lessons. Signs at the end of the age, which we looked at last week the abomination of desolation.

Which is what we'll focus on today and then the third one will be the coming of the Son of Man. And as a transition I believe that all of Matthew 24 is a response by Jesus to his disciples by the question that they asked in verse 3.

Again, we have Jesus talking about that. The temple is Verses 1 and 2. Jesus left the temple and I want you to notice. We have Jesus here leaving the temple and the Old Testament. We have Yahweh leaves the temple here.

Jesus leaving the temple he was going away when his disciples came and pointed out pointed out to him the buildings of the temple. But Jesus answered you see these things. Do you not truly I say to you there were not there would not be left here.

One stone upon another that will not be thrown down. His disciples hear this and so they asked him. Three questions. Well, that's been three things. I believe these three questions are really the same question as three different ways.

This is as he said on the Mount of Olives. Disciples came to him privately saying tell us when will these things be. What was Jesus talking about? The temple being torn down. So when will these things be the temple being torn down?

And what would be the sign of your coming the temple being torn down and the end of the age the temple being torn down? And I'm pointing out last week notice it asked that they asked him when will be the sign of your coming.

The word coming here is Pharisee our Perusia. Depending on how smart you want to sound. They're asking Jesus we will his presence. When is his presence coming when he's standing physically in his in their presence?

So this coming this Perusia Has to be something totally different than his physical form being in front of. Are you seeing this. And so next week we'll focus on that. During our transition this was Basically one question asked in three different ways and it's speaking of the destruction of the temple but today our first main point we're going to hit our second main point and that is the abomination of desolation.

The Abomination of Desolation and the Fall of Jerusalem

1924 we're going to read verses 15 through 21 15 through 21. Jesus speaking so when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the Prophet Daniel standing in the holy place let the reader understand and let those who are in Judea lead to the mountains.

But the one who is On the housetop not go down. Take what is in the house and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his float and alas for Women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days.

Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Saturday. For then there will be great tribulations such as not been from the beginning of the world until now. No, and never.

Will be.

So today we will look at this text in three sub points. My first sub point is the desolation. My second sub point will be the interpretations. And my third sub point will be the abomination. So we have the desolation the interpretations and the abomination.

I was not trying to make it rhyme. As a transition I want to point out one thing. And I think this is where a lot of commentary a lot of people who are trying to interpret this passage get confused. The abomination is Not the desolation.

The desolation Is not the abomination.

Okay.

As long as we understand these two things we can have a right interpretation of what this is trying to say and As we go through it you'll see it more clearly right now just kind of giving you a dim look.

But the abomination is Not the desolation. There seems to be a lot of trouble with that part when it comes to the reform camp our camp our people. This is where the trouble seems to to to get Confusing when it comes to interpreting this text.

So sub point number one The desolation.

It's not the Matthew.

2415 Jesus again. He's speaking to his disciples. Speaking to his disciples. He says so when you you being the disciples see the abomination of desolation. Spoken by Daniel spoken by the prophet Daniel standing in the holy place.

Let the reader Understand and it says then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Or 17, but but the one who was on the housetop not go down and take what is in his house. So it seems to sound like a local judgment.

Just just like if you just if you have no knowledge of a Christianity Christian tradition. And you're reading this it seems to sound like a local judgment. He's he's telling them that when you speaking second-person for when when you see these things.

Leave leave this country go to the mountains if you're on your housetop. Don't even go down to get anything that's inside. Go to the mountains of Jerusalem. Now you and I we don't hang out on our roofs.

Now I've hung out on many roofs in my life being a roofer for 25 years. But we do not have like parapets built around our roof area because we don't hang out on our roofs. We have what's called decks or front porches and stuff like that to where we congregate and hang out.

But in first century Jerusalem I don't know if you remember that story of the pair the paraplegic man his friends. They carry him up on the roof and they lower him down through the roof. Well a lot of people when they tell that story.

They give you a visual that they're ripping shingles or something off of the roof in order to let that man down. But it was a commonplace that at that time in Jerusalem. Everyone had a door hatch to where they can climb up on their roof because that's where people.

Gather.

We're saying that if you're up on your roof and you're you're gathering and you see the abomination of desolation. Spoken by the prophet Daniel don't go back into your house. Running as fast as you can to the mountains.

Because desolation.

Is coming now. I'll turn your attention, please with me to Daniel chapter 9. This right here. I pointed it out a couple weeks ago. I Just want to read a couple of verses. Three verses one and two and I'm going to read 17 and 18.

I believe this right here gives us the best interpretation of desolation. So we have Daniel and he's speaking Daniel 9 beginning at verse 1 in reverse 1 and 2.

First.

This is in the first year of Darius the king of Asherah by the sin of me Who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans and the first year of his reign? I Daniel perceived in the books of numbers of years that according to the Word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet must pass before the end of the desolation of Jerusalem namely 70 years.

So this would have been the first time where were the Jews did not keep the Sabbath week. They did not keep the fruit. They did not pay their rent right and they were thrown out of that land. And it was for 70 years.

They were supposed to be out of this land. So it says the desolation of Jerusalem. Now turn your attention to verse 17. So this is in a prayer that he starts praying in verse 3. So 17 says this now therefore Oh God.

Listen to the prayer of your servants and to his plea for mercy and for your own sake. Oh God for your own sake. Oh Lord make your face shine upon. Where your sanctuary the temple. Which is desolate? Verse 18.

Oh my god incline your ears in here. Open your eyes and see our Desolation in the city that is called by your name. So the desolation you can look back in time. You can see that the desolation was the Jewish people Removed from their land and that the temple was destroyed.

So what was the desolation? That's the definition. The desolation is that the Jews removed from their land and their temple destroyed. We track that's the desolation that's the clear biblical description of the desolation verse 12.

Of the same book listen to verse 12. It says he confirmed his words which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us. By bringing upon us a great calamity for under the whole heaven there has not been done anything.

Like what has been done.

Against Jerusalem. So he's saying that under heaven there has never been Anything done to any other people like what has been done to Jerusalem? No one has ever been removed from their land quite like they have in their Temple this temple of worship that they used to worship God this place where heaven and earth met.

Completely destroyed. He says it's never happened and yet. Look at Matthew again. We'll go back to Matthew our text. Matthew 24. Matthew 24 look at verse 21 speaking of. Speaking to his disciples the abomination of desolation.

Verse 21 he says. For then there will be great tribulation. Such has not been from the beginning of the world until now and no never will be. Saying the same thing except for when Daniel saying that that nothing this bad has ever happened before.

Right here. It's a lot worse. What's about to come upon them is a lot worse. This desolation? That's going to come upon them is a lot worse. And notice it says and it will never happen again. It will never be again.

Never will this be again? So there's a difference being made here between the destruction of the first temple and the destruction of the second temple and. It is this it will never happen again. Look at a supporting text with me real quick.

Luke 21.

Verses 20 and 21 This right here is going to explain to you at the desolation. And I want you to notice it doesn't mention abomination. Luke 21 Beginning in verse 20 It's still speaking to his disciples, but when you see Jerusalem Surrounded by armies then know it's desolation.

Has come here then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains that those who are inside the city Depart and let not those who are outside the country enter in. So what's the desolation and saying when you see armies surrounding Jerusalem know that it's Desolation is near that this army is not camping outside to hang out and build a campfire.

They're coming in to destroy the city. They're going to remove and kill the Jews and they're going to destroy their temple. Jesus says man when you see this about to happen Don't go into your house. Don't do anything.

Just leave whatever's in there. It's not worth it. Leave run get out of there.

Jerusalem.

Is going to be surrounded by armies and they're going to be destroyed. As we transition, I believe this statement. That's made by Jesus. We're in the verse 21 where he says.

Matthew.

2421 where he says for then there will be great tribulation such as not been from the beginning of the world until now and no never will be. I Believe it's speaking covenantal. Believe it's speaking about the old covenant passing away.

That the temple is going to be destroyed and the reason why it's never going to happen again. So we do not live under the old covenants. We live under the new covenant. Believe in Jesus Christ and live and listen, that's never going to end.

That's never going to end. We don't need a temple. God does not dwell in Temples and houses made by human hands. God now dwells in those. This covenant that we're in the new covenant the covenant through the blood of Jesus Christ is not ever going to be Destroyed and so that's why when he says it Whatever he's talking about.

Uh-uh.

Such things has not happened since the beginning or the end. Because Yahweh Jesus has left the temple. He's left and he's not coming back. Jesus Christ is God. Yahweh is in the presence. He's in the body of those who believe in Jesus Christ.

That's why we have a better covenant. The temple was destroyed in 70 AD. And now to our second sub point the interpretations. And as you can imagine, there's no shortage of interpretations when it comes to this text.

I'll give you two preterist interpretations. So some preterists hold that and Which is really faulty. In 168 BC the Greek King. His name always Antiochus. The Greek King Antiochus of Epiphanes. So like the Greek King Antiochus of Epiphanes invaded Jerusalem and captured the sea.

So he evades Jerusalem. He captures the city. He marches into the Jewish temple. He erects a statue. This is true. This really happened. He erects a statue of the Greek God Zeus. And he sacrifices a pig on the altar of incense.

And so.

People today they look back then and say that was the abomination of desolation. But the problem is this took place in 168 BC. Jesus speaking to his disciples Probably near in 30 AD says. But when you see the abomination of desolation.

When you with your eyes you see the abomination of desolation. You run you leave. You flee you go to the mountains you not come down from your housetop to get a coat. Get out of here. So that interpretation does not sit well with me.

The other interpretation which is most most of my Postmortem friends hope to this one and it would be that the man of lawlessness here is Nero. Nero who would have been a Roman Caesar a horrible horrible man.

The persecution of the Christians in the first century were were were done by Nero. You ever heard the term Roman candle. It was done by Nero. Nero would put black pitch all over Christians and set them on fire let them burn as lights for the garden.

He would dress up and Animal skins and he would eat Christians the private parts. Like this man was Evil, he was known as the beast. Nero woke him up. His nickname was the beast. It's a lot of people They say man he has to be the man of lawlessness this this is him.

This is the abomination of desolation. A reform view would say that in the year 70 AD the Roman General Titus invaded Jerusalem to crush the Jewish revolt. He entered the temple and he had the building destroyed and he carried off the lampstand and other temple artifacts to Rome.

Now I Don't believe any one of those To be the abomination of desolation. I just don't. I don't feel like it does justice in my opinion. The dispensational of you would say that the Jews Will in the future rebuild a third temple.

They will begin animal sacrifices and an Antichrist will rise up. He will set himself in the temple stopping animal sacrifices and proclaiming himself to be God.

Now.

In all fairness, you know how I feel about dispensationalism, but I think they give a better interpretation when it comes to the abomination. Though I do not believe it. I do not believe them. But I think they attempt to give a better Interpretation when it comes to the abomination of desolation and they get this interpretation from Daniel 9 and from 2nd Thessalonians Chapter 2.

2nd Thessalonians chapter 2 you have this man of lawlessness He appears and he's going to one day be revealed. And so they Actually says that he will proclaim himself to be God. And so they said this man of lawlessness is the Antichrist.

It will be a future rebuilt temple. He'll be in it and then he'll put it into the he'll stop the sacrifice in an offerings and that will usher in Christ coming to destroy him and to rule and reign over the earth for a thousand years.

Now as we transition So far again, I think the dispensational has a better view that explains this. But all three of them in my opinion does not give Settling interpretation like I cannot really look to the text.

Like I can't sit up here. So because of that This is not just my interpretation. I've been reaching out to a lot of a lot of theologians on this Point here recently. So some point number three the abomination.

Again it's not We'll go over our same verse Matthew 24 15 Jesus says that when you see the abomination of desolation spoken by the prophet Daniel standing in the holy place that the reader Understand.

So this is supposed to be something that the reader can understand. And those interpretations that I just gave you I don't feel like they're intelligible interpretations. I'm sorry for those that.

So.

Turn your attention again today. I'm not and I want to just quickly read through this.

First.

If you remember. About four weeks ago. I believe it was kind of walk through this. I just want to read through it. I'm kind of get quick quick commentary. To freshen your mind. So we have the Jews there.

They're in captivity for 70 weeks. I mean for 70 with me for 70 years.

Gabriel comes to.

The angel Gabriel comes to Daniel and he proclaims to him this Prophecy. He says 70 weeks are decreed about your people. So you're speaking to Daniel your people will be the Jews and your Holy See which is Jerusalem.

To finish transgressions to put an end to sin to atone for iniquity to bring about everlasting righteousness to seal both vision and dream a Vision and prophet and to anoint a most holy place. This is known for certain and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and rebuild Jerusalem because remember Jerusalem had been destroyed and to the coming of the anointed one a prince.

And here I said that this is Jesus Christ the Prince. There will be seven weeks. Then for 62 weeks, it will be built again with square and mole but in trouble sometimes so this seven plus this 62 comes to 69 weeks.

This would bring us from the the creed of King Artaxerxes was Wasn't 457 BC. Take 457 BC. You had 483 years to it and takes you to 27 AD so this is where I said that 27 AD would be the baptism of Jesus Christ.

And this is then after the 62 weeks. You have to add the one week an anointed one shall be cut off. I mentioned that the cutoff here was him being rejected by his own people. And he will have nothing in the people of the prince of the people of the prince.

The prince is Jesus. So the people of the prince would be the Jews. Who come shall destroy the city in the sanctuary? So the prophecy is saying that the Jews are going to destroy the city in the sanctuary.