Prophecies of Jesus for the end of the age
Let us note that certain prophecies spoken of in the Bible should not been seen in their literal meaning but should be interpreted. There are certain other prophesies which can be understood in a plain manner without any interpretation.Jesus said that as soon as we see the abomination of desolation standing in the holy place, “Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains” (Matt.24:16). This prophecy needs to be interpreted:Judea means all the land of the Jews (Acts 10:37) The Bethlehem of Judea was the birth place of Jesus. Today, the land of the spiritual Jews is the Church, the Body of Christ. The Church gives birth to its spiritual children through the gospel. Those who are of the spiritual Judea should flee to the high places in their spiritual life. This means that they should grow more and more in their spiritual life and should conform to the image of Christ. They should leave behind the defiling things of the world.
In Luke 21:20-21, the same prophecies are mentioned with some additional facts. “And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. Then let them which in Judea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto..”
When Luke wrote the above prophesies, it also referred to the destruction of the physical Jerusalem, which took place in A.D.70. However, these prophecies also point to the end-time events, which precede the second advent of Jesus. Those who are in the midst of Judea should also depart out and flee to the mountains. Those new believers, who are in the middle of the Body of Christ duly protected by the elders in the outer circle, should also be prepared to flee to the mountains. Then those who are in the countries i.e. outside the Body of Christ, need not enter the spiritual Judea because the door for entry into the spiritual Judea will be shut with the Judge coming for judgment.
Today, our spiritual growth is retarded because of our vile affections towards the world and towards the flesh. Dearly beloved, as you read this message, the Holy Ghost exhorts you to flee from your vile passions and lusts of the flesh. Do not waste your time in worldly entertainments. Engage yourself in evangelism or help evangelism. Attend intercessory prayer meetings in your town and pray for revival. The moment “the abomination of desolation” is set in the Temple of God, you will not find time for preaching the gospel. It will be very late.
Jesus said in Matt.24:17, “Let him which is on the house-top not come down to take any thing out of his house”. This prophecy also needs to be interpreted.
He/she who has attained higher spiritual experiences by way of prayer and ministry to God should not backslide so as to be enticed towards the comforts and luxuries of a settled life. He/she should not come down to take any material thing, which had been earlier abandoned in his/her spiritual life. After reaching the upper room in their spiritual house, they should not slacken in their prayer life. He/she might have spent more time in prayer earlier. Now he/she may be spending less time in prayer.
We find in Luke 2:36-38 that one Anna, a prophetess who was of a great age (84 years), and who had lived with her husband only for seven years, “departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day…”. An aged widow, and that too, under the Old Covenant, had spent the major part of her life in the temple of God with fast and prayer. Because of her relentless devotion to God and of her perseverance in meeting the Savior in the temple, she had the privilege of seeing the Savior in the temple. Similarly, only those who are fully devoted to Christ as the prophetess Anna and who await His coming can see Christ during His second advent. The prophetess Anna is a sign to us.
Those who are casual in their Christian life cannot see Christ during His second advent. They will be deceived by the Antichrist.
Jesus said in Matt.24:18, “Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.” This prophecy also needs to be interpreted.
Those who work in the fields by sowing or plowing normally leave their outer garments in their houses so that the same may not get soiled while working in the fields. They should continue to work in the fields without bothering to go back to their houses to put on their dresses.
This means that who are serving God in various mission fields or in the vineyard of God should not go back to their original place of secular employment or self-employment, leaving God’s work, just to cover themselves with the comforts of this life.
Jesus said in Matt. 24:19, “And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!”
Jesus said “Woe” to a particular group of people who are pregnant and to a particular group of people who are nursing babies.
In our midst, there are great multitudes, who are laden with a heavy burden in their personal life. They are carrying a heavy burden of worries. They are unable to concentrate on God’s ministry because they are weighed down. They are unable to run in this race because their devotion to God is distracted towards the cares of this life.
The other group of people is those who are nursing their own spiritual children pertaining to their own denominational churches. They are still nursing them because their children have no growth. They do not want their spiritual children to be taught by the other ministers. They feed their children with milk, and not with solid food because they do not have solid food to give. Nor do they allow their children to be fed by the other servants of God who have solid food. There are many pastors who have established their own churches and then finally settled in their churches without going in for evangelism. Now this group of people who still nurse their children cannot attain higher spiritual experiences because they do not have fellowship with the other members of the universal body of Christ in other churches.
In Luke 21:23-24, it is further added, “….for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people”. The Lord will spew out those who are neither cold nor hot. These people who are unable to flee to the mountains will fall by the edge of the sword of the Antichrist and his forces. They will be led away captive into all nations. This means that these people will have a great spiritual downfall. Alas! They will be deceived and will be carried as captives by the Antichrist from the spiritual Jerusalem.
Jesus said in Matt.24:20, “But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day..”
To the above two groups of people, Jesus told them as above.
Winter means spiritual coldness. In their spiritual life, they are not steady in growth. At times, they become hot. At times, they become cold. These people should not be cold when Christ comes.
Sabbath mans our blind faith in observing Sabbath or some traditions. The Pharisees found fault with Jesus when He healed the sick on the Sabbath. When Christ comes, these people who follow their own church doctrines and traditions, which are at variance with the Word, should leave such things. By witnessing to the world, these people should serve God.
Neither the spiritual coldness nor the religious practices and traditions should deter us from serving God, and from leaving the filthiness of this world.
The destruction of the physical temple in Jerusalem was predicted in Luke 21:24. “Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled”
Literally speaking, the physical temple in Jerusalem was trampled by the Romans during their invasion in A.D.70. The times of the Gentiles are only for this physical temple, which was destroyed. Those who have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior are not Gentiles at all. They are the real Jews. The physical temple in Jerusalem was put to the desolations, in a symbolical manner, much earlier when the curtain of the Temple was torn twain, as Jesus died on the Cross, though the Temple was actually put to the desolations at the time of the Roman invasion in A.D.70. Halleluiah! In place of the dilapidated temple in Jerusalem, God raised up His Temple i.e. the Church on the day of Pentecost. The gates of hell cannot prevail against this spiritual Temple. Nobody can trample this spiritual Jerusalem.
Historically speaking, the physical Temple in Jerusalem is being used by the Jews and the Muslims for worship because the worshippers do not know the living God who dwells amongst those who have accepted His Son as their Savior. In fact, those who are not saved by the Blood of Jesus Christ can be termed as the spiritual “heathens”. Till the second advent of Jesus Christ, the religious people belonging to Judaism and Islam would continue to worship in this physical Temple “until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled”. When Jesus comes, those who worship in this physical Temple will behold and recognize Him as the Messiah and the times of the Gentiles will come to an end.
- Job Anbalagan