A layman's commentary on Matthew 24, verses 16 - 28. Let those in Judea flee to the mountains.

 We are now in chapter five of my Layman’s commentary on Matthew 24, and we are in the section identified by the publishers as the,

Abomination of Desolation.

Matthew 24:15 tells us this -

“Therefore when you see the ‘ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand),” NKJV

The abomination, as described by Daniel, does not take place until the midpoint of the seven years of God’s wrath. 

I am trying to avoid the perpetual doubt and confusion associated with the terminology “the tribulation.” Why? Because we have for far too long ignored the fact that Jesus said, in this world, you will have tribulation. That means our daily lives may be associated with extremes of hardship and adversity. When these words were spoken by Jesus, most of those who listened to Him lived lives of daily attempts at survival.

Aside from what Scripture tells us, I cannot decisively tell you what the image will look like. 

• It is an image. This could easily be a statue or an animatronic device. 

• Because he (it is unclear whether this refers to the antichrist or the false prophet) makes it talk, we must assume it has a mouth. So this thing will dish out orders, commands, and perhaps demands, such as bowing before the image of the beast and worshiping it.

• Since the term beast is assigned to both the antichrist and Satan, and only a few have ever seen Satan (or Allah,) then our only logical assumption is that the image is an image of the antichrist. 

• None of us earth dwellers will know who this man is until after the church is removed from the earth. (See 2 Thessalonians 2:3,7,8)

• The beast is a spiritual entity, a demon or fallen angel, and a man who will be possessed by, at minimum, one powerful demon or fallen angel.

• The image is defined as the abomination. 

A definition of abomination can read like this, extreme hatred, abhorrence, defilement, and pollution. Look at other translations, and you will see that it is the image that causes the defilement and appears to be the hatred against the Jews and the tribulation saints.

“So when you see the abomination that causes desolation spoken about through the prophet Daniel standing in the Holy Place” (let the reader understand the allusion),” 
Matthew 24:15 CJB

This brings us to Matthew 24: 16-20.

"then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.” 
Matthew 24:16-20 NKJV

You have to admit that some have specific instructions.

One goes something like this: " Let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”

Where is Judea? 

It was the Southern kingdom, but now it is considered the southernmost region of Israel, near Petra. 

Where, in general, are the mountains Jesus may be referring to? 

The most commonly mentioned mountains are in the northern region called the Megiddo Valley, which borders Syria and Lebanon. While some would tell you that Jerusalem is the closest thing they have to a mountain, there is a range of mountains South of the Dead Sea, near the Negev and the area of Petra in Jordan.

This may be what Jesus is talking about. Look at what else He told them. 

[I must remind you that virtually everything in the Torah, and a significant percentage of the New Testament, is focused on Israel and the return of the Messiah – the Day of the Lord.]

• “Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.”

  Why say anything about that? In the midst of the October 7^th attacks, did people have time to pack? No, they just hid or jumped in cars and tried to flee.

• “And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.”

  If you have paid attention to what happened at the music festival, some tried to go back and rescue friends. That turned out to be a horrid decision for them, and they, too, were killed.

• “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!”

  God forbid you should ever say, this baby is a burden, but it is just one more thing to cause you grief as you try to move quickly or hide because Hamas has proven that committing horrors has no age limit.

• “And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.”

  Think about the fact that He is talking about devout and religious Jews. Jews that have to uphold religious laws that restrict the distance you can travel. [A Jew was permitted to travel 2,000 cubits on the Sabbath (Exod. 16: 29 and Num. 35: 5), about 1.2 km. (¾ mile), and the Mount of Olives was within this distance from Jerusalem (Acts 1: 12).] https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/middle-east/israel-and-occupied-palestinian-territories#:~:text=travel%20advice%3A%20Health-,Local%20laws,the%20Sabbath%20may%20offend%20people.

  Imagine having to flee but only being permitted to travel ¾ of a mile. That would be a hopeless situation.

In all of this, your head should be screaming, when does this all happen?

I want so badly to tell you that this event is exclusive to the midpoint of the seven years and beyond, but horrors of this magnitude are already occurring, and you can't blame them on God, for it is people lost in their religious beliefs, who believe they are doing the will of their god – Allah.

So, although deadly events will occur throughout the seven years, the intensity of violence will ramp up at the three-and-one-half-year mark within the seven years and will heighten as the high priest—otherwise known as the false prophet—decides to make himself known to the world.

The following demonstrates that the Lord is involved in the wrath within the seven years.

“For the Lord shall judge by fire, and by his sword unto all flesh, and the slain of the Lord shall be many.”
Isaiah 66:16 DRB

“And the Lord shall make the glory of his voice to be heard, and shall shew the terror of his arm, in the threatening of wrath, and the flame of devouring fire: he shall crush to pieces with whirlwind, and hailstones.”
Isaiah 30:30 DRB

Moving on.

“for then shall be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world to this time; no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days should be shortened, no flesh would be saved. But for the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened.”
Matthew 24:21-22 MKJV

• “for then shall be great tribulation,”

  This is in excess of how the time period begins. Let me give you an example.

  “And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures like a sound of thunder, saying, Come and see. And I saw. And behold a white horse! And he sitting on it had a bow. And a crown was given to him, and he went forth conquering and to conquer. And when He had opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, Come and see. And another, a red horse, went out. And power was given to him sitting on it, to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another. And there was given to him a great sword.” Revelation 6:1-4 MKJV

  The rider on the white horse is the antichrist. Though he is associated with the word peace, don't be deceived; he is carrying a bow, and so the truth be known: There will be bloodshed related to this man.

  The second seal, related to the seven years of wrath, brings us the red horse. Notice that it says, “and power was given to him... to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another.” Did you catch that? It says "they." Now, that could be a generalization referring to anyone from the nations, or it could be referring to military forces who are enforcing the will of “governing bodies.”

  Now, ask yourself a question. If Revelation is chronological and Revelation 6:1 shows us the initiation of God's wrath, then is there ever a time of peace, especially considering what the WEF and WHO are currently doing while the church is still here. Remember, there is NO antichrist as long as the church is still here.

• “ for then shall be (a) great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world to this time,”

  Because our conversation concerns the abomination of desolation, the word “then” refers to the midpoint of said wrath.

  Seriously, since the beginning of the world? Virtually every despot has brought horrendous devastation and slaughter, and the associated deaths will surpass your most vivid imagination.

• “But for the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened.”

  Many were taught, though disrespectfully, that the world revolved around the followers of Jesus Christ; they do not, we were merely grafted in to the stock, which is Israel.

  Who then are the elect?

  To be elect is not a self appointment, but clearly we are talking about the Jews and even more so about those who have controlled people and suppressed the Word of God – the Rabbis.

“Then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ! Or, There! Do not believe it. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and show great signs and wonders; so much so that, if it were possible, they would deceive even the elect.”
Matthew 24:23-24 MKJV

• “Then if any man shall say to you, Lo, here is Christ! Or, There! Do not believe it.”

  Consider the context. The world is crashing down on the Jews and saints, “Christ followers.” This idea of Christ’s followers is odd because it initially applied to the church, which had been caught up to be with Jesus three and one-half years before. What makes them saints now is their hearts turning toward God and the “testimony” associated with their actions- and, unfortunately, getting their heads lopped off.

  How laughable is this. But wait, Jesus said,

• “if it were possible, they would deceive even the elect.” 

  How is this possible since these are the teachers of Israel? 

  The answers to the question might have much to do with this; the two witnesses from God who have been standing in the streets of Jerusalem preaching about Jesus the Messiah (I assume). But it’s not just the preaching; it’s the signs (and we may not have the details on all that they demonstrated - such as the fire that emits from their mouths should anyone attempt to harm them, and they stop the rain. (Doesn’t it make you wonder how the average citizen would know the rain had been stopped over a particular parcel of land?)

  As I was meditating on this very thing a short time ago, I was amazed at how odd it is. At about this same time, I ran across a video of an African nation where a man in regal attire declared that he was Jesus. Not only that, but he is proclaiming others to be the reanimation of the prophets and the apostles of the New Testament. How believable are this man’s actions? Consider that Jesus was a Middle Eastern Jew with olive-colored skin which was flailed mercilessly with a whip, which had sharp shards integrated into the whip; He was nailed to a cross; His side was pierced with a sword or spear; dead, He was taken from the cross and placed into a tomb where a large stone was rolled over the opening, and He rose from the dead after the third day. As far as I know, none of those things are exhibited in this man, and if they are, I would understand that we are dealing with the demonic.

  And yet, the number of people following this deceived human being is growing. Even worse, he is not the only one.

“Behold, I have told you beforehand.” Matthew 24:25 MKJV

The Albert Barnes commentary states, “The reason why he told them before was that they might be on their guard, and be prepared for those calamities.”

Ezekiel tells us of warning the righteous person – the elect. They will surely live because they took a warning. 

“If you warn the righteous person not to sin and the righteous person does not sin, he will surely live, because he took warning. You will have delivered your soul.” 

Ezekiel 3:21 TLV

I do not believe that your survival is the point here, but obedience certainly is, and Israel’s spiritual leaders are more concerned about obedience to laws and not the spirit of God. 

Jesus also emphasized that telling the listeners beforehand would demonstrate His love for them.

"From now on I am telling you before it comes to pass, so that when it does occur, you may believe that I am He.”
John 13:19 NASB

And He wants to prevent them from stumbling.

“These things I have spoken to you so that you may be kept from stumbling.” 
John 16:1 NASB

Back to the context. 

“So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them.” 
Matthew 24:26 NASB

In his Bible notes, Finis Jennings Dake stated that this refers to “Anyone claiming to be Christ.”

What are the warnings to those living on Earth at this time? 

“Do not go out” there and try to see him and, even more straightforward, “do not believe “these people.

Jesus ends this section with two cryptic messages.

“For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be.”
Matthew 24:27 NASB

This has a similar feel to time that Jesus was explaining the Holy Spirit and the new birth. In that case it was the wind that was dancing across the patio, but here, the lightning is flashing across a clouded sky and everyone, for miles and miles, can see it.

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. "Do not be amazed that I said to you, 'You must be born again.' "The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”
John 3:6-8 NASB

His coming will be no mystery; in fact, He explained, in great detail, the chain of events that will alert those still alive, as to when He is coming back as the Messiah and when.

Here is the second of those cryptic messages.

"Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”

Matthew 24:28 NASB

For the majority of my seventy years, verse 28 has made no sense to me. Suddenly, I can visualize a bit of what He is saying. 

Death, during the seven years, will be an ongoing thing. 

• There will be death at the hands of humans.

  Consider Haiti, where cannibal gangs are killing, roasting, and eating the dead.

• We are told that the wild beasts will attack people and kill or eat them.

• “World leaders,” I say it like this because we already have, too, many who are self-appointed, trying to run the nations, are already actively killing millions. 

• An angel on an ashen horse will be released for the express purpose of killing a fourth of the earth’s population. The techniques they use include the sword, famine, and pestilence.

  Pestilence is the Greek word thánatos and also means plague, pests, and disease.

In case you have been living under a rock, these so-called “world leaders” have been financing and creating plagues while resurrecting several others that should have stayed gone. Perhaps this is the reason that so many undocumented people have been allowed to cross the borders of America. 

Is it that the corpses will be gathered and placed in a particular area? I don't think so. It comes across as there are just that many deaths globally.

The context has much to do with the time frame, three-and-one-half years after the introduction of the antichrist, and the false prophet, as the Islamic prophecies call for, will be the orchestrator of the majority of these deaths.

Vultures or flesh-eating eagles, as several translations declare it, are symbolic and represent:

• Jesus words to John in Revelation.

  “Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds which fly in mid heaven, "Come, assemble for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of commanders and the flesh of mighty men and the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them and the flesh of all men, both free men and slaves, and small and great.”
  Revelation 19:17-18 NASB

• Dake's bible conveys that this is “Where the dead bodies are slain at Armageddon.”

  While that is possible, it is an assertion and an assumption that this is referring to the battle of Armageddon.

  If you do a word search for the word Armageddon, in the King James Bible, you will only find one reference, and it is in Revelation 16:16.

  The sixth angel poured out his bowl on the great river, the Euphrates; and its water was dried up, so that the way would be prepared for the kings from the east. And I saw coming out of the mouth of the dragon and out of the mouth of the beast and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs; for they are spirits of demons, performing signs, which go out to the kings of the whole world, to gather them together for the war of the great day of God, the Almighty.”
  Revelation 16:12-14 NASB

  And they gathered them together to the place which in Hebrew is called Har-Magedon.
  Revelation 16:16 NASB

  Armageddon. i.e., hill of slaughter, *S# G717. i.e., Mount of Decision or Sentence (UCRT)

Dr. J Vernon McGee tells us. “It means “Mount of Megiddo.” It is a compound word made up of the Hebrew words Har, meaning “mountain,” and Megiddo, which is a mount in the plain of Esdraelon. ... It is one of the most fertile valleys I have ever seen. I guess it is the most fertile valley in the world today. And, it is a place where many battles have been fought in the past.”

Lastly, the people who choose to fight will come to the Meggido Valley in preparation for the colossal battle that Jesus will participate in just before the millennial reign of Christ.

If you choose to reject Christ, then your fate will be put in the hands of an angry God, and you will have to endure, should you survive or get your head lopped off for your faith and testimony. 

Bypass all that and turn your life over to Him now; you will escape the wrath of God and live forever with Him in paradise.

Micah 4:1, It will come about in the last days.

If you were with me when I began the study on Micah, then you know that Isaiah is about 15 years older than Micah and he was affluent with robust social contacts thanks to his father, the priest. Both men were from the Southern Kingdom of Judah. However, Isaiah leans toward the big city, if I can call it that, while Micah, almost seems like a country boy. Micah pales in comparison to the volumes written by Isaiah, but Micah's words are just as cutting or uplifting within a mere seven chapters.

Chapter 4 spells out what many ask, as Micah paints a word picture of the house of the Lord. Raised to the highest point in Israel, with the nations flowing to it, and the Jews as the teachers, all people now want to learn of the Lord. Is chapter 4 all good news? No, but then Micah is trying to make a point.

Micah 4:1 NASB And it will come about in the last days that the mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains. It will be raised above the hills, And the peoples will stream to it.

Notice how similar Micah's words are to Isaiah's; this is one of the reasons that many think Micah is merely mouthing Isaiah's words.

Isaiah 2:2 NASB Now it will come about that In the last days The mountain of the house of the LORD Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it.

Ezekiel also spoke of the mountain of the house of the Lord.
Ezekiel 20:40 NASB "For on My holy mountain, on the high mountain of Israel," declares the Lord GOD, "there the whole house of Israel, all of them, will serve Me in the land; there I will accept them and there I will seek your contributions and the choicest of your gifts, with all your holy things.

The comparisons: in Micah we see people streaming to it; in Isaiah, all the nations stream to it; and, in Ezekiel, we are told that the whole house of Israel will serve Me there.

• The whole house of Israel? These are those surviving the seven-years of wrath; this is in contrast to the teachings of some who say, only the Christians go into the millennial reign. Of those entering, we must include the 144,000 Jewish witnesses, marked by God for their protection. There is a notable reduction in those He refers to as the whole house of Israel, but by my rough estimate, there will be a little over 2 million survivors entering into the millennial reign.

Zechariah 13:7-9 MKJV  Awake, O sword, against My Shepherd, and against the Man who is My companion, says Jehovah of Hosts; strike the Shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered. And I will turn My hand on the little ones.  8)  And it shall be in all the land, says Jehovah, two parts in it shall be cut off and die, but the third shall be left in it.  9)  And I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried. They shall call on My name, and I will answer them; I will say, It is My people; and they shall say, Jehovah is my God.

Most should understand this discussion so far, as a clear statement indicating that there will be Jews entering alive into the millennial kingdom.

• “It will come about in the last days.”

The disciple John - having gone through transitions in his mindset and spirit, such as: setting aside the rage, and receiving the Holy Spirit – (as promised by Jesus;) also endured multiple attempts to kill him for the sake of the gospel, and imprisonment upon the Isle of Patmos, writes the words we see in 1 John 2:18-19.

1 John 2:18-19 AMP Boys (lads), it is the last time (hour, the end of this age). And as you have heard that the antichrist [he who will oppose Christ in the guise of Christ] is coming, even now many antichrists have arisen, which confirms our belief that it is the final (the end) time. 19) They went out from our number, but they did not [really] belong to us; for if they had been of us, they would have remained with us. But [they withdrew] that it might be plain that they all are not of us.

• “it is the last hour.”
• “even now many antichrists have arisen,”
• this knowledge “confirms our belief that it is the end time.”
• The persons that became the antichrists came, at that time, out of their number. Does that mean that these have bred and divided, becoming the antichrists we now deal with? NO, but the tactics and unbelief still run rampant within the church body.
• And, John delivers a massive clue about the false prophet - a person who still qualifies as an Antichrist, when he says “he who will oppose Christ in the guise of Christ.” This statement by John leads me to Islamic prophecies that call for just such a man. I became aware of these Islamic prophecies when I read the Islamic Antichrist by Joel Richardson. I will leave you to pursue that on your own time.

Let's look at one last aspect of Micah 4:1. Here is the verse once again.
Micah 4:1 JPS  But in the end of days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established as the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills, and peoples shall flow unto it.

Once again I point out how many have so convoluted the scripture that they are comfortable in their belief that no Jews enter into the millennial reign. You could not be more wrong.

Isaiah 56:5-7 JPS  Even unto them will I give in My house and within My walls a monument and a memorial better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting memorial, that shall not be cut off.  6)  Also the aliens, that join themselves to the LORD, to minister unto Him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants, everyone that keeps the sabbath from profaning it, and holds fast by My covenant:  7)  Even them will I bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer; their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be acceptable upon Mine altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.

Isaiah 66:23 JPS  And it shall come to pass, that from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before Me, saith the LORD.

Jeremiah 16:19 MKJV  O Jehovah, my strength and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the nations shall come to You from the ends of the earth and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and there is no profit in them.

Jeremiah 16:19 is significant to me, because I repeatedly proclaim that our Mormon and Jehovah Witness brothers and sisters, will awaken and throw those books that they have called the Bible, at the leaders who have led them astray; as they too will acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the Messiah and there is no God like Jehovah. Who will teach them?

Along with their belief that the Jews will not enter the kingdom, some even see Israel and the wars against it, as non-survivable. Again I say, that is not the case. Many will survive, while some will flee, and that is spelled out for us.

When Christ, for the last time, physically returns to the earth, it is for several reasons.

1. He will return for war.

1. He will, in such a short period that no one cares to define it, take His throne to reign for the thousand years. Here again, If Ezekiel and the prophets of old could see the New Jerusalem in their spirits, then it must already be out there, merely awaiting some command to descend. There is, of course, the leveling of the ground there, but God can handle that without our help and the fact that a horrendous earthquake occurs almost simultaneously as Jesus touches the ground on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem, might solve any ground leveling issues.

Zechariah's words speak directly to those who chose to fight, and those who did not. Stop here for a moment and think about that. We see children, even today, being taught to hate and fight against the Jew; they will endeavor to fight against Jesus when He returns. However, there will be those, with their learned hatred, that will not fight. Look at what Zechariah says, “any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem.” These were not combatants; these are those who stayed home and took care of things.

Zechariah 14:16 NASB Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths.

The Complete Jewish Bible says it this way: “Finally, everyone remaining from all the nations that came to attack Yerushalayim.”

Let's break down what we see here; I realize that many passages such as this one, seem to be laid out rather clearly, and yet, the Monday morning Bible teacher would repeatedly say that Jesus/God kills everyone and only Christians go into the Millennial reign. By expanding your window of studying from one scripture to comparative scriptures you can begin to see that your desired goal of death to everyone is, not only wrong but your perverted sense of justice.

• “any who are left of all the nations”
• “that came to attack Jerusalem”
• “will go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths.”

I mentioned that a day would come when the veil will be lifted from the eyes of all who remain. When will that day be? Paul speaks to that in his letter to the Romans.

Romans 11:25-26 MKJV  For I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, lest you should be wise within yourselves; that blindness in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the nations has come in.  26)  And so all Israel shall be saved; as it is written, "There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

We do not and will not know when that day will come until it happens, and then, it will be too late for you to be caught up in God's grace; I, therefore, warn everyone about what's coming and that they will need to be strong. On the plus side, you will have the Holy Spirit to strengthen you. I know there are multitudes who deny that possibility, but since scripture backs me up, I will say it with confidence.

Someday soon, when the fullness of the nations has been met then we, the church, will be removed from the earth. On that day God will lift the veil from the eyes of all, including Israel.

Verse 26 tells us that all Israel shall be saved, but some will ask, why then would they be killed during the seven-years of God's wrath?

As Theologians you have undoubtedly read, multiple times, that God spoke of all when it is clear that not all were there, or included. It is not so different here, as many of those deemed “saved” during the time of wrath will die. This time of anger is not something to toy with, like those who say they will snow ski in hell.

As God's torrential punishment is being poured out, violent men will still be running around trying to kill anything that conflicts with their idea of god - Allah, or stands in their way.

 Since Jesus is the only way and I am not a good gambler, I choose Christ. As I look back on this relationship I have placed myself in I can say it was a good choice and has only grown more intense and profound with the years.

My people behave like an enemy. Micah 2:8-12.

Once again, as I read through these passages, I find myself struggling to keep a clear picture of who is being addressed.

As you can see, in Micah 2:6, we have Micah speaking against those who want him to shut his mouth, as they say, “Enough of your preaching!”

Micah 2:6-7 CEV: "Enough of your preaching!" That's what you tell me."We won't be disgraced, so stop preaching!"  (7) Descendants of Jacob, is it right for you to claim that the LORD did what he did because he was angry? Doesn't he always bless those who do right?

Israel asserts, “We won't be disgraced.” To call the voices speaking against Micah Israel is a broad assumption but a fairly logical one. Why?

• Based upon Micah 2:1,2, we know that the word Micah speaks applies to both sides of the divided kingdom – Israel and Judah; he is talking to those who have the power to rob and defraud the people of their land and therefore their inheritance. And God is never speaking this way to everyone, although, such as in the case of humankind, all suffered the effects of Adam's treasonous act - something we like to call sin – something that is so much easier to understand if you consider the “sin” a genetic modification that impacted ALL peoples since that day.

(Seeing as the Assyrians and Babylonians will soon take everyone captive or kill them, inheritance is somewhat of a moot point; unless there is that one person that remembers that God promised His people the land of Canaan. As long as someone is keeping records in their head there is the probability that land could be reclaimed if that opportunity ever arose again; and apparently, it did. Looking to a time well over 2700 years later this becomes important again, as the words of Micah 2: 4,5 indicate that there will be no left that could reestablish inheritance claims.)

Micah 2:5 NASB: "Therefore you will have no one stretching a measuring line For you by lot in the assembly of the LORD."

•  Israel, for the longest time, was ruled by judges. Samson and Gideon are two that come quickly to mind. But Israel cried out; we want a king like the nations around us have, and so their first king was Saul. How quickly that went sour on them, and God warned them that it would. By the time Micah is speaking out against what is going on, it feels more like some twisted struggle between a monarchical, aristocratic, and oligarchic system. How is that possible? Well, consider that in Jesus' day, although the Romans seemed to have the final say, who did Pontius Pilate turn to for the last word on the fate of Jesus? The Jewish council, which itself was a blend of oligarchic and aristocratic leadership.
• The kings, for the most part, followed God in name only, and the relatively wealthy Jewish council were the voices that spoke for the people, whether they wanted them to or not.

So Micah is, for the most part, talking to the ruling bodies.

Micah then retorts – "this is what you are saying, Does GOD lose his temper? Is this the way he acts? Isn't he on the side of good people?”(MSG)

On a personal note, I was told by a particular pastor not to give words to the body of Christ any longer because several people expressed to the pastor that they thought I made God sound angry. Why do we believe God would not get annoyed, particularly if we are operating contrary to the will of God?
In contrast to the kind, pleasant, and somewhat encouraging words of verse 7, where it says, “doesn't he always bless those who do right?” there is verse eight through eleven to bring us back to reality.

Micah 2:8 - 11 NET.“ but you rise up as an enemy against my people. You steal a robe from a friend, from those who pass by peacefully as if returning from a war. 9) You wrongly evict widows among my people from their cherished homes. You defraud their children of their prized inheritance. 10) But you are the ones who will be forced to leave! For this land is not secure! Sin will thoroughly destroy it! 11) If a lying windbag should come and say, 'I'll promise you blessings of wine and beer,' he would be just the right preacher for these people!”

The Complete Jewish Bible opens with this: “But lately my people behave like an enemy,” “ against my people.”(NET)

If God can generalize, using a sentence such as, " rising up as an enemy against my people," while saying "you are the ones who will be forced to leave," about whom is He talking? Ruling bodies, which, for the most part, are the Jewish priestly council.

To refresh our memories -

Micah 2:1-2 MSG: Doom to those who plot evil, who go to bed dreaming up crimes! As soon as it's morning, they're off, full of energy, doing what they've planned. (2) They covet fields and grab them, find homes and take them. They bully the neighbor and his family, see people only for what they can get out of them.

Since God called Israel Babylon at one point, and Babylon is not a clearly defined entity, is it possible that He is speaking about the ruling class and those who think they have a right to oppress merely because of money? Absolutely, and we see this despicable activity throughout history.

Isn't it the people with money who own the land from which the widows are being evicted? And that is the lead-in to verse 9.

Micah 2:9 NIV: " You drive the women of my people from their pleasant homes. You take away my blessing from their children forever."

Naomi is a good example of verse 9. When we meet Naomi, her husband is dead, and now her sons have died as well. [You can find much of this information in the first chapter of the book of Ruth.] Naomi, knowing she is the inheritor of land in Israel, decides she will go back there. She tells the two daughters-in-law to go back home to their families, but Ruth stays with her. Even in Israel, repossessing her land does not mean she will eat or pay any taxes owed, and so Ruth sets out to glean from a field so that they can survive.

In response to Israel's claim that no harm will come to them, God says,

Micah 2:10 NIV: " Get up, go away! For this is not your resting place, because it is defiled, it is ruined, beyond all remedy."

Daniel had spent most of his adult life in Babylonian captivity (Daniel 1:2-4). Sitting quietly one day, reading the scroll of Jeremiah the prophet, he understood “that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.” That time, which was almost over, was the result of Israel disregarding the Sabbath years.

When I point these things out to people, many immediately come back at me with, I have never seen that in Scripture. I have, but I don't have it memorized and had to look it up.

2 Chronicles 36:20-21 KJV  And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia:  (21)  To fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfill threescore and ten years.

The command was to let the earth rest every seven years. Obviously, Israel did not do that. This idea of the seven-year sabbatical time plays a role in the time of God's wrath, as at the end of that time there is a restoration of all things. You see, nothing in God's scheme of things happens by coincidence, nor outside of God's timing.

Micah 2:11 NIV: "If a liar and deceiver comes and says, 'I will prophesy for you plenty of wine and beer,' that would be just the prophet for this people!"

The NIV is a somewhat loose translation, but it conveys what Hebrew is saying through the mouth of Micah. Let me show you another translation that demands an explanation.

Micah 2:11 KJV  If a man walking in the spirit and falsehood do lie, saying, I will prophesy unto thee of wine and of strong drink; he shall even be the prophet of this people.

Walking in the spirit — The Hebrew for walking is haw-lak' and means to walk continually and be conversant. The Hebrew for spirit is rûach and means wind, but it also means breath or spirit. The Hebrew word rûach is the counterpart to the Greek word pneuma, meaning a current of air, breath, or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively, a spirit.

Is Micah, in verse 11, defining a “prophet” that is walking in the Spirit of God? Not a chance. This analogy of a false prophet is precisely what they have all been calling for is: plenty of beer and wine for all; nothing will happen but good!

Micah 2:12 MKJV: " I will surely gather all of you, O Jacob; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel. I will put them together like the sheep of Bozrah, like the flock in the midst of their fold. They shall be in commotion because of men."

I frequently forget that the limitations within my mind do not limit God. This statement, by the mouth of Micah, is just another word picture that shows Israel diminished in number to where the imagery of a shepherd, tending to a manageable number of sheep, immediately comes to mind.

Just for the fun of it, I looked up the population of Israel. It is 8,907,000. A loss of 2/3 reduces the population to just over 3 million.

Seeing as we see God gathering the remnant, the Message translation makes sense.

Micah2:13 MSG: "Then I, GOD, will burst all confinements and lead them out into the open. They'll follow their King. I will be out in front leading them."

By comparison

Micah2:13 AMP: "The Breaker [the Messiah] will go up before them. They will break through, pass in through the gate and go out through it, and their King will pass on before them, the Lord at their head."

Seeing as the Jewish mind has been trained to refuse flamboyant words, the prophecies that are respected and valued are those that fall into repeated patterns and are verifiable by scripture. Micah 2:13 is just such a prophecy; an example can be found in the words of prophets like Amos.

Amos 9:11 AMP: "In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David, the fallen hut or booth, and close up its breaches; and I will raise up its ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old,"

Yeshua/Jesus Christ the Messiah will come as the conquering King that Israel has longed for; it just won't happen in Israel's timing, and that is proven by the fact that Israel will take a horrendous beating. If you are not aware, Israel has been sustaining a large volume of missiles being shot at them from Gaza.

A friend of mine asked me, do I think that Israel is experiencing that time called Jacob's troubles. Initially, I responded by saying it seems like it doesn't it. But an intense look at the passages surrounding the verse where Jacob's trouble is referenced indicates that this time is specific to the midpoint of the seven years.

Jeremiah 30:7 KJV: " Alas! for that day is great so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it."

While the troubles Israel, all of Christianity, and the innocent bystanders of the world are experiencing can easily be classified as trials. Jesus told us that tribulations would be a part of our lifestyle; this is especially true for those who, like me, live on the front lines of this battle called life.

 John 16:33 MKJV: " I have spoken these things to you so that you might have peace in Me. In the world, you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I have overcome the world."

I have said these things to you so -

I think I mentioned, in a earlier post, that I was now the co-leader of a bible study. This will be the second week in a row that I have had the floor. 

I opened last weeks study by talking about the struggles that I had preparing for that week. Strangely I found myself feeling like I was in a fog. I think part of my problem is how do you keep the word of God fresh, when the men you are leading are not novices, and one in particular is theologically trained and used to lead this study himself. 

Mind you I think that openness and honesty can sometimes lead to some great conversations, and in this case, when the fourth man showed up, it did. 

I had a plan and barring interruptions it would have gone well. But, there are always interruptions, especially from our in-house theologian. I realize that I can take full advantage of the theologians training if it were not for the fact that he will go on for 20 minutes without breathing (just kidding about that; I think.) I think my interpretation of “well” has to really be tempered by the idea that we are a “life group”, and as such need to afford the men an opportunity to integrate their lives into the scriptures as we progress through them. (By the way, I tend to dissect scriptures)

One of our regulars did not show this past week but showed up within the last couple of minutes as we were about to end with prayer. He came in with two of his boys; one was clearly in some distress, and he asked us to pray over the boy as he could not open one eye. We rallied to our feet and gathered around him. Prayer time was good and when we were done he thanked us and left. Mind you, he did have to take the boy to the doctor but scripturally we did what the word commands us to do - “lay your hands on the sick and they will recover.” So I deemed the morning a success.

The previous week our other leader had finished up John chapter 15. But, if you look at John 16:1 you can quickly discern that it starts mid-sentence, so I had to back up at least a couple of verses. 

A quick recap: John 15:26, 27; the lead into chapter 16, has Jesus attempting to keep them settled in their spirits, as He has told them that he has to go away. 

This man, Jesus, has been their lives, their mentor, and they have had need for nothing, for three years. How could it get any better? 

They don't understand what his death is about to buy them. They do not understand that there is a hope of a future with him. And it is possible that Jesus knows to well what Peter is about to go through. This is the nature of John 16:1, but he continues: 

Now comes the hard part.

John 16:2-3 ASV They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the hour is coming, that whosoever kills you shall think that he offers service unto God. (3) And these things will they do, because they have not known the Father, nor me. 

I asked the guys, why would this be important to them?

I say this because my gentile mind, for years, never registered that these were Jews. 

What changed my thought on this? Every time we see Jesus in action it is the Sabbath and he is in or near a Synagogue. For three years they rarely missed a Sabbath; the people that he interacted with were Jews, and many that he healed went immediately into the Synagogue.

To be thrown out meant tremendous loss to them. This was family, community, and to some degree protection. Everything they knew and understood of God came from their training they received at the Synagogue, and lately from Jesus. 

It was not just the throwing out of the Synagogues that got their attention; “the time is coming when those that kill you will think that they are offering a service unto God.”

Jesus had just said they would throw you out of the synagogue and now he is talking about them being killed. How do not think the two events are related to the same people?

 

What is about to take place? The Jewish religious leadership is about to brutally beat Jesus themselves, and then hand him over to the Romans for an additional beating that rarely a man survives, and the Jewish leadership insisted that Jesus be hung on the cross to die, not understanding all along that it was God that put him on that cross, that Jesus himself was going there voluntarily, and that he was to be the sacrificial lamb that would take away the sins of the world. (We all needed this price to be paid.)

I did point out that there is a religion, active today, that feels this same way; Islam. Do not for a minute think that the goal here is to incite hatred; I am though, wholeheartedly, trying to incite reasonable thought, so that if someone is trying to pass a law that states that Sharia law is the new and best way of dealing with things, you vote it down and vote them out. Do what is right. Be the voice that assists with withholding the anti-Christ spirit in the land. 2 Thessalonians 2:7 NASB (7) For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out-of-the-way.

All this is the lead in to verse four.

John 16:4 LEB But I have said these things to you so that when their hour comes, you may remember that I told you about them. "And I have not said these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.

The phrase “their hour comes” can be rather troublesome and here is why.

It carries three possible meanings depending upon the translation. Examples include:

1. John 16:4 BBE I have said these things to you so that when the time comes, what I have said may come to your mind. I did not say them to you at the first, because then I was still with you.
2. John 16:4 AMP But I have told you these things now, so that when they occur you will remember that I told you of them. I did not say these things to you from the beginning, because I was with you.
3. John 16:4 ASV But these things have I spoken unto you, that when their hour is come, ye may remember them, how that I told you. And these things I said not unto you from the beginning, because I was with you.

If you are focused on option one then you may be looking for a random inevitable time. To concentrate your attention on option two tends to lean toward some random action specifically against you. Jesus said it would come, so the question is really a matter of when.

I happen to think the focus of the passage is more like option three; where the concentration is more on a specific time frame, and has everything to do with the end times.

Revelation 3:10 LEB Because you have kept the word of my patient endurance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing that is about to come upon the whole inhabited world, to put to the test those who live on the earth.

Mat 24:21 For at that time there will be great tribulation, such as has not happened from the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will happen.

This testing is God's wrath being poured out upon the earth (it comes in many forms), and we as believers were not meant to be partakers of it.

Romans 1:18 NASB For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness,

Revelation 6:16 NASB and they *said to the mountains and to the rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb;

Daniel 12:1 YLT `And at that time stand up doth Michael, the great head, who is standing up for the sons of thy people, and there hath been a time of distress, such as hath not been since there hath been a nation till that time, and at that time do thy people escape, every one who is found written in the book.

These passages speak to our hope of salvation from the wrath.

Romans 5:9 LEB Therefore, by much more, because we have been declared righteous now by his blood, we will be saved through him from the wrath.

Revelation 3:10 AMP Because you have guarded and kept My word of patient endurance [have held fast the lesson of My patience with the expectant endurance that I give you], I also will keep you [safe] from the hour of trial (testing) which is coming on the whole world to try those who dwell upon the earth.

Daniel 12:1 YLT `And at that time stand up doth Michael, the great head, who is standing up for the sons of thy people, and there hath been a time of distress, such as hath not been since there hath been a nation till that time, and at that time do thy people escape, every one who is found written in the book.

Yes, I understand that we get daily reports of atrocities being performed upon believers and those outside of Islam, but this is not the end, or “their time” spoken of in scripture. We may be moments away from “their time” but Jesus, in Matthew 24, spelled out that our comparison is Noah. This comparison has little to do with the violence or attitudes seen in Noah's story, but has everything to do with the fact that the day that it started to rain is the day that God shut Noah up in the boat, removing him from the wrath being poured out.

The Apostle Peter expounded upon what Jesus said in 2 Peter 2 when he included Lot. If you know the story of Lot, then you know that they were beating on his door trying to get in. The Angels had to blind the men outside, and physically remove Lot and his “family” to safety saying, "Hurry, escape there, for I cannot do anything until you arrive there." Genesis 19:22 NASB

Why would I say that the comparison has little to with the violence and attitudes seen in both examples? In both cases there is no denying that the elements exist, but there is a clear distinction in the level of violence.

Matthew 24:21-22 YLT for there shall be then great tribulation, such as was not from the beginning of the world till now, no, nor may be. (22) And if those days were not shortened, no flesh would have been saved; but because of the chosen, shall those days be shortened.

There you have it, the tribulation period will make these current struggles seem like just a bad vacation. 

We have a solid assurance that we are to be excluded and saved from the WRATH that is to come.

Everything Jesus said to the disciples, contained, as part of his message, the establishment of hope within them.

John 14:3 NASB "If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.

John 14:16-18 LEB And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, in order that he may be with you forever-- (17) the Spirit of truth, whom the world is not able to receive, because it does not see him or know him. You know him, because he resides with you and will be in you. (18) "I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.

Hosea 6:3 NASB "So let us know, let us press on to know the LORD. His going forth is as certain as the dawn; And He will come to us like the rain, Like the spring rain watering the earth."

And yet there is still a wrath that is coming. The Good News Bible rephrased it like this:

John 16:4 GNB But I have told you this, so that when the time comes for them to do these things, you will remember what I told you. "I did not tell you these things at the beginning, for I was with you.

I wish we could understand a couple of things here. Jesus felt the need to emphasize that hard times will come. Yes, they come all throughout a typical life, but the Great Tribulation will go far beyond what we understand now. If He can make the statement that the time period has to be shortened or no one will survive, then there is a deadly seriousness to it. But you also have to remember that we have a promise of Him coming back for us.

Revelation 3:10 MKJV Because you have kept the Word of My patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation which will come upon all the habitable world, to try those who dwell upon the earth.

Obviously the version I have given you above says temptation, and for many that means some vice you indulge in, but the word is also interpreted as tests or trials. So we (followers of Christ) will be kept from the hour of testing that is coming upon the earth. That period is the great tribulation.

This is about the way it works in bible study. I dive in and we camp on one verse for several minutes. This week I printed out my notes so that I would not have to spend as much time on one theme, and should our in-house theological person show up I might be able to keep him from side tracking us.

I believe that our Lord's return is imminent. Yes, that has been the theme of believers since the day Jesus left, but it is our directive and way of living. Having a world view like this keeps me paying attention and focused on Him. His glory and presence are becoming more real and vivid to me each day. I long for him.

If you do not understand then I suggest that you give you life over to Jesus Christ. He is the one that gave his life for you. Because of him offering himself in a brutal death, we now have the opportunity for his life to be in us. This put us back into relationship with the Father/God, and no, his name is not Allah. His name is Jehovah, but I call him Father.

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