Immortality or Resurrection, William West [best romance books of all time txt] 📗
- Author: William West
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the spot) they came from Jerusalem, and settled, before the war (under Vespasian) began. Other providential opportunities for escaping afterwards occurred, of which, it is probable, those who were now left behind availed themselves; for it is a striking act, and such as cannot be contemplated by the pious mind without sentiments of devout admiration, THAT HISTORY DOES NOT RECORD THAT EVEN ONE CHRISTIAN PERISHED IN THE SIEGE OF JERUSALEM. Enduring to the end faithful to their blessed master, they, gave credit to his predictions, and escaped the calamity. Thus were fulfilled the words of our Lord, Matt. 24. 13. 'He that shall endure unto the end (i. e. of the scene of this prophecy) shall be saved,' i. e. from the calamities which will involve all those who shall continue obstinate in unbelief" George P. Holford, "The Destruction of Jerusalem."
"It is very remarkable that not a single Christian perished in the destruction of Jerusalem, though there were many there when Cestis Gallus invested the city; and, had he persevered in the siege, he would soon have rendered himself master of it; but, when he unexpectedly and unaccountably raised the siege, the Christians took that opportunity to escape." Adam Clarke, Commentary on Matthew.
At the second coming of Jesus no one will see the Roman army and flee to the mountains. Premillennialists believe and teach that the rapture will be at the time of this great tribulation, therefore, the saints could not flee to the mountains for they would be "up in the sky with Christ" in the rapture; but Jesus clearly told them to flee to the mountains when the tribulation begins. Christians were to (and did) flee from Jerusalem; from the very place where Premillennialists say Christ will come to and set up His kingdom, and if this passage were about a millennial coming, they were told to flee from Jerusalem at the very time when many Millennialists say He will be coming to Jerusalem to set up His kingdom.
That this is not the second coming of Christ is shown by the fact that both living and dead believers did not meet the Lord in the air in A. D. 70, but that only the living believers were to flee to the mountains.
INSTRUCTIONS AND WARNING TO THE DISCIPLES
Matthew 24:17-20: "Let him that is on the housetop not go down to take out the things that are in his house: (18) and let him that is in the field not return back to take his cloak. (19) But woe unto them that give suck in those days! (20) And pray you that your flight be not in the winter, neither on a Sabbath; for then shall be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world (aion-age) until now, no, not ever shall be. (22) And except those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. (23) Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is the Christ, or, Here; believe it not. (24) For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. (25) Behold, I have told you beforehand. (26) If; therefore, they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the wilderness; go not forth: Behold, he is in the inner chambers; believe it not. (27) For as the lightning comes forth from the east, and is seen even unto the west; so shall be the coming of the Son of man. (28) Where so ever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together."
"For then shall be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world (aion-age) until now, no, not ever shall be." This is speaking of the Jewish age, not all time. Not of the destruction of the flood before the Jewish age and not speaking of any war after the end of the Jewish age. Daniel 12:1 says, "And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time." Daniel vision about Israel and Michael was speaking only of Israel and should be understood as "since there was a nation of Israel." It is speaking only of the wars and captivities of Israel, not of other nations, not anything before Israel was a nation, or after the destruction of Israel.
(a) Those in Jerusalem were to flee without taking time to take things from their house, and those in field were not to take the time to return to their house for things [Matthew 24:18-19]. "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is at hand. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are in the midst of the city depart, and let not those who are in the country enter the city" [Luke 20:20-21].
No one, saved or lost, will be able to flee to the mountains to escape at the second coming of Jesus. The saved will not want to and the lost will not be able to. Neither will armies surround Jerusalem at the second coming of Christ. Nevertheless, Millennialists attempt to make this be an army of Satan surrounding Christ and His saints in the Millennial Kingdom. Would those who were with Christ in Jerusalem be told to flee to the mountains to escape the army of Satan? If they were, it would give Satan more power than Christ has for He would not be able to protect them from Satan.
The saints that were to flee to the mountains would be in the mountains at the time of rapture, not ruptured to Heaven where the Millennialists say they will be. Although this is a key passage to the Millennia theory it is an undeniable contradiction to the rapture theory.
(b) Woe unto them that have a small child [Matthew 24:29]. Those with a child would have hardships in fleeing to the mountains, but at the end of the world this will be no problem, no woe to those who will be caught up to meet Jesus in the air.
(c) They were to pray that it not be in the winter or on a Sabbath for the gates of Jerusalem were closed, and no one could depart from the city [Matthew 24:20]. Because the streams were then impassable from the heavy rains, the cold wet weather would be hard on those who were fleeing. The gates of Jerusalem have never been closed after A. D. 70 and it will be no problem if the gates of Jerusalem, or any city was closed at the second coming, nor will impassable streams or cold weather be a problem at the second coming.
Hindrances to flight from Jerusalem in A. D. 70 that would be no hindrances at the second coming.
• Having a small child [Matthew 24:19]
• In the winter and bad weather [Matthew 24:20]
• On a Sabbath day with the gates of Jerusalem closed [Matthew 24:20]
(d) There would be a greater tribulation than had been from the beginning of the age. [Matthew 24:20-22].
(e) There would be many false Christs and prophets that would show great signs [Matthew 24:23-27]. But, when Christ came in judgment on Israel He was seen by all through His judgment. False Christs and prophets will not be a sign of His second coming at the end of the world.
(f) Where so ever the dead body of Israel was (the carcass) the eagles would gather [Matthew 24:28]. The Jewish nation was a dead and rotting carcass with its birds of prey.
• First: many false Christs.
• Second: Christ coming seen by all.
• Third: Then the dead carcass of Israel. That Christ being seen by all is the coming of Christ in judgment on Israel and not His second coming is shown by it being between the false Christs and the dead carcass of Jerusalem.
1. False Christs
2. Then Christ coming in judgment on Israel
3. Then the dead carcass of Jerusalem
"For these are days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled" [Luke 21:22]. Jeremiah ends his prophecy made in Gehenna [valley of Topheth] outside of Jerusalem with, "Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Behold, I am about to bring on this city and all its towns the entire calamity that I have declared against it because they have stiffened their necks so as not to heed My words'" [Jeremiah 19:15].
FIRST CENTURY OR TODAY?
(a) "Let him that is on the housetop not go down." Most first century houses in Jerusalem had flat roofs, and a person could travel through the city from one housetop to the next. Today there are almost none with flat roofs and what few there may be would not be useful as a roadway to the gate of the city.
(b) Not on the Sabbath. The gates would be closed, and no one would be able to leave the city. Today there are no gates. The Law forbids going more than a Sabbath day journey, which is less than a mile, and others Jews might have stopped them for breaking the Law.
(c) Not in the winter. Travel would be hard then but not today with today's ways of travel.
(d) "For the days shall come upon you when your enemies shall cast up a bank about you, and compass you round, and keep you on in on every side" [Luke 19:43-44]. Then the common way that was used by the Romans to take a walled city was to build an embankment next to the wall for the army to walk up to the top of the wall. Today's cities, not even Jerusalem, do not have walls as they would be useless with modern planes and explosives.
(f) "And except those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." After Jerusalem was completely destroyed, the cities of Israel that had not been destroyed before Jerusalem was also destroyed. If the Roman army had kept going, the fateful Jews beyond the mountains where Christians had fled to would have also been destroyed. This would make no sense when it is applied to the second coming of Christ as it is by many Millennialists.
Luke 21:24 "And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led captive into all the nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." In A. D. 70 all the Jews that were in Israel that was not killed were led captive into all the nations. The siege of Jerusalem was at the time of the Passover when millions were within the walls of the city. IF THIS WERE SPEAKING OF THE MILLENNIUM WHO IS GOING TO FALL BY THE SWORD AND BE LED CAPTIVE AT THE COMING OF CHRIST?
"Of the Jews destroyed during the siege, Josephus reckons not less than ONE MILLION AND ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND, to
"It is very remarkable that not a single Christian perished in the destruction of Jerusalem, though there were many there when Cestis Gallus invested the city; and, had he persevered in the siege, he would soon have rendered himself master of it; but, when he unexpectedly and unaccountably raised the siege, the Christians took that opportunity to escape." Adam Clarke, Commentary on Matthew.
At the second coming of Jesus no one will see the Roman army and flee to the mountains. Premillennialists believe and teach that the rapture will be at the time of this great tribulation, therefore, the saints could not flee to the mountains for they would be "up in the sky with Christ" in the rapture; but Jesus clearly told them to flee to the mountains when the tribulation begins. Christians were to (and did) flee from Jerusalem; from the very place where Premillennialists say Christ will come to and set up His kingdom, and if this passage were about a millennial coming, they were told to flee from Jerusalem at the very time when many Millennialists say He will be coming to Jerusalem to set up His kingdom.
That this is not the second coming of Christ is shown by the fact that both living and dead believers did not meet the Lord in the air in A. D. 70, but that only the living believers were to flee to the mountains.
INSTRUCTIONS AND WARNING TO THE DISCIPLES
Matthew 24:17-20: "Let him that is on the housetop not go down to take out the things that are in his house: (18) and let him that is in the field not return back to take his cloak. (19) But woe unto them that give suck in those days! (20) And pray you that your flight be not in the winter, neither on a Sabbath; for then shall be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world (aion-age) until now, no, not ever shall be. (22) And except those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. (23) Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is the Christ, or, Here; believe it not. (24) For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. (25) Behold, I have told you beforehand. (26) If; therefore, they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the wilderness; go not forth: Behold, he is in the inner chambers; believe it not. (27) For as the lightning comes forth from the east, and is seen even unto the west; so shall be the coming of the Son of man. (28) Where so ever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together."
"For then shall be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world (aion-age) until now, no, not ever shall be." This is speaking of the Jewish age, not all time. Not of the destruction of the flood before the Jewish age and not speaking of any war after the end of the Jewish age. Daniel 12:1 says, "And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time." Daniel vision about Israel and Michael was speaking only of Israel and should be understood as "since there was a nation of Israel." It is speaking only of the wars and captivities of Israel, not of other nations, not anything before Israel was a nation, or after the destruction of Israel.
(a) Those in Jerusalem were to flee without taking time to take things from their house, and those in field were not to take the time to return to their house for things [Matthew 24:18-19]. "But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is at hand. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, and let those who are in the midst of the city depart, and let not those who are in the country enter the city" [Luke 20:20-21].
No one, saved or lost, will be able to flee to the mountains to escape at the second coming of Jesus. The saved will not want to and the lost will not be able to. Neither will armies surround Jerusalem at the second coming of Christ. Nevertheless, Millennialists attempt to make this be an army of Satan surrounding Christ and His saints in the Millennial Kingdom. Would those who were with Christ in Jerusalem be told to flee to the mountains to escape the army of Satan? If they were, it would give Satan more power than Christ has for He would not be able to protect them from Satan.
The saints that were to flee to the mountains would be in the mountains at the time of rapture, not ruptured to Heaven where the Millennialists say they will be. Although this is a key passage to the Millennia theory it is an undeniable contradiction to the rapture theory.
(b) Woe unto them that have a small child [Matthew 24:29]. Those with a child would have hardships in fleeing to the mountains, but at the end of the world this will be no problem, no woe to those who will be caught up to meet Jesus in the air.
(c) They were to pray that it not be in the winter or on a Sabbath for the gates of Jerusalem were closed, and no one could depart from the city [Matthew 24:20]. Because the streams were then impassable from the heavy rains, the cold wet weather would be hard on those who were fleeing. The gates of Jerusalem have never been closed after A. D. 70 and it will be no problem if the gates of Jerusalem, or any city was closed at the second coming, nor will impassable streams or cold weather be a problem at the second coming.
Hindrances to flight from Jerusalem in A. D. 70 that would be no hindrances at the second coming.
• Having a small child [Matthew 24:19]
• In the winter and bad weather [Matthew 24:20]
• On a Sabbath day with the gates of Jerusalem closed [Matthew 24:20]
(d) There would be a greater tribulation than had been from the beginning of the age. [Matthew 24:20-22].
(e) There would be many false Christs and prophets that would show great signs [Matthew 24:23-27]. But, when Christ came in judgment on Israel He was seen by all through His judgment. False Christs and prophets will not be a sign of His second coming at the end of the world.
(f) Where so ever the dead body of Israel was (the carcass) the eagles would gather [Matthew 24:28]. The Jewish nation was a dead and rotting carcass with its birds of prey.
• First: many false Christs.
• Second: Christ coming seen by all.
• Third: Then the dead carcass of Israel. That Christ being seen by all is the coming of Christ in judgment on Israel and not His second coming is shown by it being between the false Christs and the dead carcass of Jerusalem.
1. False Christs
2. Then Christ coming in judgment on Israel
3. Then the dead carcass of Jerusalem
"For these are days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled" [Luke 21:22]. Jeremiah ends his prophecy made in Gehenna [valley of Topheth] outside of Jerusalem with, "Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, 'Behold, I am about to bring on this city and all its towns the entire calamity that I have declared against it because they have stiffened their necks so as not to heed My words'" [Jeremiah 19:15].
FIRST CENTURY OR TODAY?
(a) "Let him that is on the housetop not go down." Most first century houses in Jerusalem had flat roofs, and a person could travel through the city from one housetop to the next. Today there are almost none with flat roofs and what few there may be would not be useful as a roadway to the gate of the city.
(b) Not on the Sabbath. The gates would be closed, and no one would be able to leave the city. Today there are no gates. The Law forbids going more than a Sabbath day journey, which is less than a mile, and others Jews might have stopped them for breaking the Law.
(c) Not in the winter. Travel would be hard then but not today with today's ways of travel.
(d) "For the days shall come upon you when your enemies shall cast up a bank about you, and compass you round, and keep you on in on every side" [Luke 19:43-44]. Then the common way that was used by the Romans to take a walled city was to build an embankment next to the wall for the army to walk up to the top of the wall. Today's cities, not even Jerusalem, do not have walls as they would be useless with modern planes and explosives.
(f) "And except those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened." After Jerusalem was completely destroyed, the cities of Israel that had not been destroyed before Jerusalem was also destroyed. If the Roman army had kept going, the fateful Jews beyond the mountains where Christians had fled to would have also been destroyed. This would make no sense when it is applied to the second coming of Christ as it is by many Millennialists.
Luke 21:24 "And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led captive into all the nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled." In A. D. 70 all the Jews that were in Israel that was not killed were led captive into all the nations. The siege of Jerusalem was at the time of the Passover when millions were within the walls of the city. IF THIS WERE SPEAKING OF THE MILLENNIUM WHO IS GOING TO FALL BY THE SWORD AND BE LED CAPTIVE AT THE COMING OF CHRIST?
"Of the Jews destroyed during the siege, Josephus reckons not less than ONE MILLION AND ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND, to
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