Greetings friends,

Within these moments our Lord allows me to understand and epiphanies within His Word I am so incredibly grateful to be able to share these with others in commission from Him to continually offer a sacrifice of praise. (Heb 13:15 ) Blessed be our Father through our Lord Christ Jesus.

In accord with a discussion I am currently having in private with a fellow in Christ, I was again considering Mathew chapter 23 last night. I subsequently made two significant discoveries, one of which I will highlight here in this post.

It never really made sense to me why our Lord told His audience in chapter 23, "For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’" Mth 23:39

After all, He goes into great detail about these shepherd's errors throughout that chapter. So why in the world would He tell them they would all of a sudden come to some great awakening and repentance? Then it dawned on me, that's not what He's saying at all! He's not saying that someday they would believe in Him, He's saying one day they will announce their own false messiah!

"I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him." Jhn 5:43

Here Jesus says they "will" except another who comes in his own name as coming in the name of the Father. Which makes complete sense because that's the very subject our Lord goes on to discuss with His disciples in Mathew 24.

"As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many." Mth 24:3,4

Jesus proceeds here to explain what He meant by His audience, saying, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord." He's not saying they all of a sudden will come to some mass repentance when they see Him in the clouds (at which point is too late), but rather they will not see Him again until they announce and accept their own false messiah!

Wow! Blessed be our true Lord Yeshua, Lord and Savior of our people...

Joshua

 

Greetings brother,

Ask yourself, why did Jesus tell the evil shepherds in Mth 23 they would say, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord" after Ps 118:26 was just fulfilled two days before? The verse you quoted in Mt 21 indicated the fulfillment of Ps 118 when Jesus entered the city on a donkey. So then, two days prior, the Israelites had already said, "Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord" when referring to Jesus. So is Jesus saying they would say it again? That makes no sense. Is He saying only the evil shepherds would say it about Jesus? That makes no sense.

Jesus told the evil shepherds they were as good as thrown into the hellfire. "You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell." Mth 23:33

So, is Jesus saying these sheapords were all of a sudden going to on mass repent and accept Him? Or is He referring to their eventual acceptance of a false Messiah?

"I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him." Jhn 5:43

Jesus' words at Jhn 5:43 are saying someone will come in his own name, meaning he won't actually be the Messiah from Jehovah but will claim to be. We know this because Jesus is saying He is the one who actually comes in the Father's name as the Messiah, not someone who only comes in his own name claiming to be from Jehovah as the Messiah. That's the context.

All love

Joshua

 

The Greek word used in Mth 23:33 as until is heós:

Heós - conj: until, (b) prep: as far as, up to, as much as, until - a prim. particle used as a preposition, adverb, and conjunction.

Definition / Until - (up to (the point in time or the event mentioned).

The Greek word you are thinking of as unless would be alla.

Alla - (otherwise, on the other hand, but.)

Here is a verse with unless (alla) used as you suggest,

"I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Luk 13:5

This however isn't what is being said in Mathew 23. He isn't saying unless (alla) as a condition to be met, He's saying (heós) "when after you do this" you will see me.

What I am reading is Jesus is saying they would not physically see Him as they were currently looking at Him until the day they claim they have found their own Messiah on behalf of Jehovah.

Joshua

 

Paul,

Excellent post sir...

Yes, that is what I was getting at. There are several ways to look at this;

1. Their false antichrist future religion would announce their messiah and be adopted by Christians.
2. Or Jesus is speaking to the new temple, the new Jew that would adopt a false Christ before He returns.
3. (The third option I just thought of while writing this post, found below!)

Either way, this falls in line with the apostasy. Notice they both present signs.

"For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect." Mth 24:24

"Because of the signs it was given power to perform on behalf of the first beast, it deceived the inhabitants of the earth." Rev 13:14

"The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, " 2Th 2:9

"But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf." Rev 19:20

(Here's a thought I just had)

This is possible: Let's say for argument's sake that Jehovah's Witnesses represent the courtyard. If they, (or any Christian organization if you like) were to accept the mark of the beast because they believe the governments are working on behalf of God, Jesus' words could be seen as the Governing Body insisting file and rank accept the mark of superior authorities, claiming the government authorities are standing on behalf of Jehovah.

I was reading the latest elders release today discussing the vaccinations. Have you seen it?



So, that is another possibility. Let's say in the future, the government or the UN requires Christians to be a member of the organization that highlights things that violate God's commands, then Christian churches require their congregants to accept that membership in order to remain a member. Apostasy and idol worship is anything we put before the worship of God through Christ.

"He" doesn't necessarily have to be a false messiah set up; it could be the false prophet Jesus discussed in Revelation as the second beast in chapter 13. In that letter above, the Governing Body is saying the governments are working on behalf of Jehovah.

Regardless, your objection is connecting the word "he" in Mth 23:33 to anything other than Himself.

I might start by offering the Greek word translated as "he."

ho, hé, to - Definition - the

Here are uses throughout scripture:

about (2), all (5), case* (3), cause* (1), circumstances* (3), companions* (8), condition* (1), experiences (2), far (1), followers* (1), former* (1), meat (1), one (6), one who (1), one* (1), others (4), others* (1), outsiders* (3), people (1), sight (1), some (7), some* (5), suitable (1), these (4), things (1), this (31), those (406), those who (17), together* (8), under* (1), welfare (1), what (47), what had happened (1), what* (1), which (14), who (52), whoever (8), whom (4).

If you notice, this word is used most often as those in scripture. So, in reality, the word doesn't mean "he" as in a singular person at all, it is a generic statement simply declaring someone, or more likely those who are coming.

The other thing I would mention again is nowhere in chapter 23 of Mathew does Jesus ever allude to them ever accepting Him, of course. And then I would point out that when the disciples ask Him about these matters in the very next chapter of 24, He goes right back into the false messiah and false prophet scenario.

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You know, the more I think about this, the idea that the false prophet could be what Jesus is talking about is interesting. The Greek word used as "blessed" in Mth 23:33 is,

eulogeó - to speak well of, praise

It could be said that is what the Watchtower is doing in that letter above; they are praising the governmental authorities and saying they are acting on behalf of Jehovah. Now I do not think the covid shot rises to the point of apostasy, by I could see how their actions could influence Christians in the future to accept a future regulation by governmental authorities in contrast to true worship.

This would answer the question of who Jesus was speaking to. The old covenant was done away with when Jesus fulfilled the sacrifice, the High Priest role, the real temple, and so on. He could be speaking to that later Jerusalem and shepherds in our day that would also be beating the slaves because they believe the master was delaying. (Exe 34)

I need to give this further thought...

This is why we come together and discuss these things, new ways of considering God's Word!

All love...

Joshua

 

Greetings brother,

Here is the conclusion I have come to:

Firstly, Jesus was telling them that they would see Him again after they say "praise to the one/those to come in the name of the Lord." Meaning they would be saying this preceding His coming. After all, we know He's talking about His coming because that's why the disciples ask HIm about the sign of His coming in chapter 24.

So if I were to say to you, "I'm not leaving the house until I shower." My meaning isn't unless, in this sentence, my meaning is after I shower, I'll leave. That's the context of Jesus' words. He would not be coming until after they make their announcement. You can't say they proclaim this after seeing Him because that contradicts His use of until rather than using unless.

Secondly, would Jesus be saying, "You won't see me until I come being proclaimed as King?" (Luk 19:38) No, that was already fulfilled two days prior.

Brother, think about this; you already know the answer to this question. What did He tell the disciples would be the sign of His coming? (More on this in a minute)

Another thing to consider is; isn't it too late to show faith once He appears in the clouds?

"Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?" Mth 7:22

These proclaim they not only had faith in Jesus but were also doing works in His name, yet we are to believe that a mass of people can believe and be converted the moment Jesus appears in the clouds? Nope, that contradicts Jesus' words in this matter.

Now look at this:

Just before Jesus says they would be saying, "Blessed be the one coming in the name of the Lord," He tells them their house was left to them a wilderness.

"Look, your house is left to you desolate." Mth 23:38

Desolate / erémos - desert (2), deserts (1), desolate (6), open pasture (1), secluded (5), unpopulated (1), wilderness (32).

Jesus used this same word in chapter 24 when He said the false Messiahs would be announced in the wilderness and the inner rooms. What inner rooms?" Their house left desolate, a wilderness.

"So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it." Mth 24:26

Well, that's interesting, he leaves their house a wilderness, and the false Messiah is announced to be in the wilderness, and inner rooms. Jesus is talking about the house and wilderness of the damned Jerusalem in chapter 23.

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Now here's the central point:

So, the disciples ask when all these things would occur and what would be the sign of his presence.

"As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” Mth 24:3

Why did the disciples ask Him about the sign of His coming? Wouldn't it be because He just said that they would see Him again in the future? That was the very last thing He said in the temple. The disciples didn't ask about anything else He talked about in chapter 23, but only about His coming/parousia, when they would see Him again.

So then Jesus answers their question,

"Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many." Mth 24:4,5

It should be clear that Jesus answered their question right there. They were asking what would be the sign of His coming, and He said not to let anyone deceive them because false Messiahs and prophets would be coming in His name. That is the sign of His coming, and what He meant by Jerusalem not seeing Him until they said, "Blessed is the one coming in the name of the Lord (in the wilderness and inner rooms." That had to happen first. The false Messiah must be announced in the wilderness, the apostasy comes first, and then Jesus appears. (2Th 2)

Jesus is answering us and telling us what He meant in chapter 23 by His answer to His disciples in 24. And this understanding is confirmed throughout all the prophetic works.

There is no doubt in my mind now...

AJ

 

We are actually talking about the same thing; we are just using different terminology. Here, let me point it out...

When you say spiritual Jerusalem, you are talking about the same thing I am when I say the real. I believe the old covenant, the old temple, the old holidays, sacrifices, and so on were all metaphors/shadows, the spiritual. I believe the ones established by Jesus are the real. We are the real Israel, the real Jew today. It is not a genetic matter but one of the promise that make us the real Jew. Remember, the old was the spiritual/metaphor/shadow...

"The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves." Heb 10:1

The real is found in Christ. Our bodies are the real temple, His sacrifice the real, our sacrifices of praise the real, and so on. (Heb 13:15)

"Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ." Col 2:16, 17

"No, a person is a Jew who is one inward" Heb 2:29

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Now, the New vs. Old:

"By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear." Heb 8:13

Here we are shown that the moment Jehovah told Jeremiah that a new covenant was coming was the moment the old became obsolete. And from that moment on, the old was soon to disappear.

Then, the next chapter of Hebrews tells us that the way into Heaven wasn't made clear while the first tabernacle was functioning. Once Jesus fulfilled the High Priest role, the way into the Most Holy Place/Heaven was made clear/known.

"The Holy Spirit was showing by this that the way into the Most Holy Place had not yet been disclosed as long as the first tabernacle was still functioning." Heb 9:8

So when did that old covenant disappear? When were the real established in Jesus and the old spiritual/shadow done away with?

The Holy Spirit that spoke in Hebrews 8 was saying the way into the Most Holy for the priests was not known as long as the first continued functioning; meaning the moment it was made aware or made known what the way into the Most Holy was, that temple no longer existed, no longer had a place in prophecy what so ever.

So when was that?

Hebrews goes on to tell us that he knows exactly the way into the Most Holy, and that was Jesus. Therefore once Jesus entered into the Most Holy place/Heaven, the way into it had been known, and the old disappeared.

"But when Christ came as high priest of the good things that are now already here, he went through the greater and more perfect tabernacle that is not made with human hands, that is to say, is not a part of this creation. He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption." Heb 9:11,12

Therefore that was the moment the old shadow of things was replaced with the real found in Christ. And we are the real...

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Now, when I say Jesus is speaking of Jerusalem in Mth 23:39, I mean God's current organizational arrangement that are beating the slaves and that fall into apostasy in the time of the end, just as prophecied all throughout the prophetic works. Read Eze 34 for the shepherd's actions.

Next, what we are missing each other on as well is the timing in the time of the end. Remember 2 Th 2 says the apostasy comes first. The wild beast that comes against the Holy Ones isn't even revealed until after the apostasy comes first. So when Jesus is talking about the signs of His coming/parousia, He's not talking about the moment He appears in the clouds, but only answering His disciples about the signs of his coming. And Jesus is saying the sign of His coming is the sign of the false Messiah!

Look:

"At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time. So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man." Heb 24:23, 26

Jesus here is saying the signs the false Messiah produces are the sign of His coming. Meaning, when we see the signs of the false Messiah, we know our Lord's coming. The lightning from the east to the west is this announcement of the false Messiah; it is the sign He's answering to His disciples that would be seen at His parousia.

Now there are many days after this in the time of the end, and many events before He appears in the clouds, so Jesus is only talking about the signs and wonders of the false Messiah that are the sign of His coming. The sign of the parousia of Christ is the announcement of the false prophet! How crazy is that?

So, therefore, Jesus is saying that His people, in the time of the end, will be announcing the false prophet within their house, their inner rooms and wilderness bringing apostasy upon themselves, sparking the beginning of the end.

All love, brother; we are doing our Lord's work here.

Joshua

 

Greetings brother,

Check this out:

This false messiah/prophet/antichrist is through the workings of the satan.

"The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness." 2Th 2:9-12

Well, how does the satan work?

"For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, masquerading as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light. It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve." 2Cor 11:13-15

Yes, the satan masquerades as an angel of light; that's how he works.

"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves." Mth 7:15

So the false prophet comes with lying deception as sheep in wolves clothing and an angel of light. Therefore, we are being told that this false prophet is putting itself in God's place, claiming it will bring peace to the world, a new kingdom on earth.

"He will oppose and will exalt himself over everything that is called God or is worshiped, so that he sets himself up in God’s temple, proclaiming himself to be God." 2Th 2:4

The lying signs the false prophet produces are claiming it will bring peace to mankind.

"While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape." 1Th 5:3

"Because they lead my people astray, saying, “Peace,” when there is no peace, and because, when a flimsy wall is built, they cover it with whitewash," Ez 13:10

"Those prophets of Israel who prophesied to Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Sovereign LORD." Ez 13:16

And since it declares it will bring peace, it doesn't mention Christ at all, and that is how it is the antichrist.

"I say this because many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist." 2Jhn 1:7

So the one that claims to bring peace to the world without Christ is the antichrist and the deceiver, the liar.

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Now, the shepherds killed the prophets, the elders of Jerusalem come against the true prophets; however, how do they speak of the false prophets?

"Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets." Luk 6:26

That's right, Jerusalem speaks well of the false prophet, hence why Jesus said that would be the sign of His coming.

"For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’" Mth 23:39

It's through flattery and words of peace that the deception comes.

"As for the prophets who lead my people astray, they proclaim ‘peace’ if they have something to eat, but prepare to wage war against anyone who refuses to feed them." Micah 3:5

"With flattery he will corrupt those who have violated the covenant, but the people who know their God will firmly resist him." Dan 11:32

Hence why the second beast in Rev 13 is seen with two horns like a lamb, because of their lying deception to bring peace to the earth without Christ.

"It had two horns like a lamb, but it spoke like a dragon," Rev 13:11

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The apostasy is the support of the conglomerate beast that claims to bring peace to the earth, as it is the statue in Daniel 2, and the elements that statue is made of.

"The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood—idols that cannot see or hear or walk." Rev 9:20

If we read Daniel 5 we see a narrative where Babylon takes the gold from the temple, bringing it into themselves, drinking wine from it, and worshiping these same elements, that of the conglomerate nations.

"So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone." Dan 5:3,4

If we remember, gold was associated with Solomon's apostasy and 666.

"The weight of the gold that Solomon received yearly was 666 talents," 1Ki 10:14

This 666 number was also visible from Babylon and the apostasy in the image of Daniel 3 that measured 60x6x6.

"King Nebuchadnezzar made an image of gold, sixty cubits high and six cubits wide, a and set it up on the plain of Dura in the province of Babylon." Dan 3:1

Now, why is gold part of the 666 and apostasy? Well, we are admonished from our Lord to buy gold from Him and not from the merchants of Babylon the Great. So, just as gold filled the temple sanctuary of old, our bodies are the real temple where God's Spirit resides, and we need to maintain that clean condition of our garments from our Lord rather than purchasing gold from the merchants of BTG.

"I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see." Rev 3:18

"The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her because no one buys their cargoes anymore— cargoes of gold," Rev 18:11

And yet Babylon the Great holds a golden cup full of her deception and wrath and drunk from the wine that represents the prophets of God.

"She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries." Rev 17:4

"I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of God’s holy people, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus." Rev 17:6

And if we read Jeremiah chapter 51, it corresponds with BTG in the time of the end.

"Babylon was a gold cup in the Lord’s hand; she made the whole earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore, they have now gone mad." Jer 51:7

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The woman Jezebel supports the prophets of Baal rather than Elijah, the true prophet. So she speaks well of false prophets. And we know the outcome with that. Fire comes down out of heaven and devours Elijah's sacrifice. And this no doubt has significance to the daily sacrifice being removed in the time of the end.

"Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching, she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols." Rev 2:20

I could go on, but I think I'll stop there. The apostasy is now starting to fall into place since we have correctly understood Jesus's words in Mathew 23 and 24.

All love, brother,

Joshua