A laymans commentary on Matthew 24. Chapter Four, verses 11- 15. “Because iniquity shall abound.”

 Chapter Four

“Because iniquity shall abound.”

Matthew 24:11 NASB "Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.”

Matthew is not the only one to make this statement.

“Many will come in [appropriating to themselves] the name [of Messiah] which belongs to Me [basing their claims on the use of My name], saying, I am [He]! And they will mislead many.”
Mark 13:6 AMP

And we find something similar in Luke's account.

“And He said, Be on your guard and be careful that you are not led astray; for many will come in My name [appropriating to themselves the name Messiah which belongs to Me], saying, I am He! and, The time is at hand! Do not go out after them.”
Luke 21:8 AMP

“Because lawlessness will multiply, the love of many will grow cold.”
Matthew 24:12 TLV

You would have had to be born numb to NOT understand that the love of many is growing cold on a daily basis. Perhaps all these wars are having this effect.

The Amplified Bible conveys verse 12 in this manner.

“the love of the great body of people will grow cold because of the multiplied lawlessness and iniquity.”

Here in America, where the moron lawmakers raised the monetary amount to around $900+ dollars before stores can get a police officer to respond, they have motivated the bad guys to form up in mobs and attack high-end stores. Each individual steals less than $900, so they can't be touched, supposedly. But more than just a few of us have had enough. Perhaps our love has grown cold.

The word iniquity is the Greek word anomia and means illegality or violation of law.

• A CNN article by Terry Frieden, CNN Justice Producer, updated 10:01 AM EDT, Wed October 17, 2012, and pulled from the internet, states that - U.S. violent crime is up for the first time in years.

• Data collected by the Bureau of Justice Statistics in telephone surveys showed a 22 percent increase in assaults, pushing up the overall rate of violent crime for the first time since 1993.

Seriously, who has not noticed this?

Matthew 24:13 NASB: "But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved.

If you are paying attention to the context and you are enduring, then you are neck deep in the time of wrath – the seven years of tribulation, specifically the last three-and-one-half years known as the great tribulation.

Endure is the Greek word hupomeno, which means to stay under or bear as in a trial.

End is the Greek word telos. It means to set out for a definite point or goal.

I believe this makes it clear that some, not necessarily Jews, will survive the horrors of this time.

“And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.”
Matthew 24:14 NLT

I have already pointed out that God uses an angel as an instrument to proclaim the gospel around the globe. (Revelation 14:6-10.)

“It was in the year King Uzziah died that I saw the Lord. He was sitting on a lofty throne, and the train of his robe filled the Temple. Attending him were mighty seraphim, each having six wings. With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.”
Isaiah 6:1-2 NLT

“The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place.” (Reader, pay attention!)
Matthew 24:15 NLT

Parallel verse

“For warships from western coastlands will scare him off, and he will withdraw and return home. But he will vent his anger against the people of the holy covenant and reward those who forsake the covenant. “His army will take over the Temple fortress, pollute the sanctuary, put a stop to the daily sacrifices, and set up the sacrilegious object that causes desecration. He will flatter and win over those who have violated the covenant. But the people who know their God will be strong and will resist him.”
Daniel 11:30-32 NLT

Here it is, January 20, 2024, and suddenly, the idea that warships from western coastlands scaring “him” off and making “him” withdraw is becoming more understandable and more of a reality. Why, because the Mediterranean Ocean and the Red Sea are currently filled with Western warships due to Israel's war with Hamas.

“And from the time that the continual burnt offering is taken away and the abomination that makes desolate is set up, there shall be 1,290 days.”
[Dan. 11:31.] Daniel 12:11 AMP

1290 days divided by 360 days, the length of a year on the Jewish calendar, equals three-and-one-half years. From the time that the antichrist adds his confirmation to “the covenant,” until the time that they take away the daily sacrifice will be 1290 days. This assumes that the third temple is built, but it is NOT necessary as it seems that this “covenant” has a mandatory role in eschatology.

If the rapture comes today (1/22/2024), there is still no temple; the Jews have plans already laid out, and I would guess that the tilt-up cement panels that will be used to make the temple are probably already made and awaiting the crews to assemble them. I point out these things because there are so many things that must still happen, all of which will trigger the destruction of the mosque and an abundance of warfare, of which Israel will take a horrific beating and only a third of their population will survive. 

Daniel 9:27, in the NASB, uses the Hebrew word gāḇar twice, "And he will make^H1396 a firm^H1396 covenant with the many.” Using a word repetitiously, and in short order, conveys the idea that something is very important. 

The passage itself tells us that the antichrist will establish, confirm, and cause a covenant to prevail or make an existing covenant firm. I could easily retell this passage by reading that he will make this covenant and cause it to be established.

Covenant is the Hebrew word b^erı̂yth and can also mean confederacy.

Let's put the situation in these terms. Hamas, nor any other Middle Easterner, is going to make a treaty with Israel, as the Islamic nations have but one goal, the total annihilation of Israel and the Jews.

The explanation that Daniel received went on to say.

“Blessed is he who waits, and comes to the one thousand three hundred and thirty-five days.”
Daniel 12:12 NKJV

That exceeded the seven years by 45 days.

"Then, after the sixty-two weeks, the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined.”
Daniel 9:26 NASB

One might assume that Jesus was coming back precisely at the end of the seven-year mark, but that does not appear to be the case. Is it possible that the incessant warring will extend the time?

Daniel 9:27 AMP “... until the full determined end is poured out on the desolator.”

Speculation seems pointless as I know that the world's system of doing things will come to a crashing halt, and then peace will reign for those who walk into the thousand years of Jesus' sovereignty on earth.

Do we know who this antichrist character is?

We have NO clue who will fill the role of the antichrist, and no one else will until the bride of Christ is lifted from the earth.

You want substantiation?

“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. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.” 2 Thessalonians 2:7-8 NKJV.

• “For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work;”

  Do you realize that He is talking about the beast that empowers the antichrist? The beast is both a spiritual entity, a demon, and a man that will be possessed by, at minimum, one powerful demon/fallen angel.

• “He” is those who are filled with the Holy Spirit and stand against the destruction and demise of the world around us with our words of prayer and our actions.

• “ He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.”

  The only way we are going to be taken out of the way is by the catching away of the church, with us in it, prior to God's wrath being poured out upon the earth.

The deception will be great. Matthew 24:3-5.

 

Doesn't this title have a familiar ring to it? 

What was Jesus' first response when the disciples ask Him these questions?

“As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you. "For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will mislead many.” (Matthew 24:3-5 NASB)

As you noticed above, the NASB used the term "mislead." 

Do you realize that any magician, "worth his salt," is a master at misdirection? The words are similar, but if you look up the simple word mislead, you will find the Greek word planaō. 

The first thing Strong's concordance says in the definition of planaō is “to (properly cause to) roam.” 

Roam, in my mind, lends itself to the results of someone misleading you. 

To roam is to stray or wander, among a few other words. Alternative words that explain planaō are "seduce or deceive."

Imagine this scenario if we used the word seduced to convey what the false prophet will do.

We associate seduction as typically being between a man and a woman who are NOT married to each other. If you were the spouse of one of these people, your reaction to what they are doing may not be so cordial or mild.

Why say all that?

Because we read things like the NASB translation of Matthew's account and we glance over a simple word like mislead and completely miss the depth of passion that God was trying to convey.

• He (the false prophet) will also be the enforcer of Sharia;.

  This coincides with the tribulation becoming even more deadly, especially for the Jews in Israel.

  "But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.” (Matthew 24:8 NASB)

Considering what we have seen, how could tribulations become greater unless it is in the number of killings and the associated violence?

Islam and the caliphate that will arise will aggressively begin killing anyone who is not a Muslim.

Allow me to refresh your memory about who we are talking about.

• and it spoke like a dragon

Revelation 12:9 “And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.”

Simply stated, the dragon is Satan; therefore, the human empowered by the dragon speaks like Satan – the deceiver. Let that sink in.

The false prophet presents himself as peaceful, almost like Jesus, but he speaks like Satan. It is NOT the tone of voice, it is the words that make him like Satan, and Satan is a deceiver. So the false prophet will, at some point, speak with the express purpose of deception.

Rabbi Baruch Kahane

Perhaps the knowledge that the Jewish religious council had selected a man to be the high priest in the “new” temple when it is built, and they have already trained him. His name is Rabbi Baruch Kahane, but if you do a search for the high priest in Israel, you will find that the Rabbi stepped back from the position as he did not feel the timing was appropriate.

And, in case you hadn't noticed, Satan does not present himself like the grotesque images we see in movies; he is subtle and seductive. Eve found that out - that is, until Satan goes into fury mode.

Revelation 13:6 ESV "It opened its mouth to utter blasphemies against God, blaspheming his name and his dwelling, that is, those who dwell in heaven."

Satan can and does become furious. The idea of making war on "her" offspring will be developed as we go.

Revelation 12:17 ESV "Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood on the sand of the sea."

• It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence. 

The first beast is a man. We were told that he emerges from the sea, so we know that he is NOT a Jew. This man does NOT sustain a bullet wound to the head, die, and rise again. Daniel 7:8 tells us that this man will have a mouth uttering great boasts. The word "boasts," italicized, indicates that it was added for clarity. In this, it seems inappropriate because the Aramaic word translated as “uttering great boasts” is rabrab and also means domineering.

This is a timing issue, and it is difficult to be precise.

What does it mean to be precise when you are God, the creator of time?

We know that there will be a seven-year period of destruction upon the earth, and the clock seems to start with the removal of the church from the earth (the rapture). There seems to be an immediate entrance of a “world” leader. Islam calls him the Mahdi, the 12^th or hidden Imam, the leader of the global Islamic caliphate. We call him the Antichrist or the first beast.

This entrance of the second beast - the one that has horns like a lamb – seems to be at the midpoint of the seven-year period.

Why say that?

Because there is a rapid escalation of events at the mid-point and our false prophet, who has operated quietly in the temple, suddenly gives himself over to this Mahdi, performs the signs, and steps up as the enforcer of this disgusting and bloody sharia law.

Everyone seems to know that the Antichrist will sign a peace treaty. We keep saying it will be with Israel, but scripture says, is that it will be with many. That may not include Israel. When I first wrote this, I guess that none of us would have thought that Russia and China would be in Syria fighting against Isis. Russia believes that defending Bashar Assad is key to defeating Isis, while President Obama is set on removing the Syrian President from power. (There are many good theories on what this is all about, and most have to do with the Federal Reserve Bank.) So, while the Antichrist may be juggling aspects of his worldwide deception, this second beast steps up and handles the enforcement aspect for him.

• and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed.

This Jew turned Muslim - temple priest turned desecrator, and a deceiver on a grand scale, makes all the earth worship the first beast.

I need you to consider the description of the beast once again.

“And I saw a beast rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth. And to it, the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority. One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed, and the whole earth marveled as they followed the beast.” (Revelation 13:1-3 ESV)

Multi-headed, with ten horns and seven heads, it looks like a leopard, a lion, and a bear. However bizarre this thing seems to be it is given a mouth; in other words – a spokesman - the Antichrist.

In the world of clues, this is huge,

“One of its heads seemed to have a mortal wound, but its mortal wound was healed,”

First, there is no such animal; second, Daniel plainly defined the Babylonian empire as the first of these heads. Historically we know that the Medo-Persian empire was the second, and the Grecian empire was the third. Since we now know, we are looking at empires and not a human as the head, what one empire fits this description better than any other? The answer is the Ottoman empire, and the world thought they were finally killed off in 1924.

Guess what? 

They came back to life in 1979 with the Iranian revolution.

Who is the elect and can they be deceived? Matthew 24:24.

 This thought process was initiated by Pastor Jack Hibbs' comments that we have been taught incorrectly, and how Matthew 24:24 conveys the idea that it is impossible for the elect to be deceived.

I cannot accept that as a true statement, and I did not want to merely make a statement that comes across as disappointment with my pastor, without giving you the exact words he used. So early this morning, 06/29/22 I went online to the YouTube video, Happening Now, with a chapter heading “The Bible's present-day performance and reality, dated 6/26/22 and I transcribed what he said.

Pastor Jack began with, “I am speaking from my head and not my notes now.” Concerning Matthew 24:24.

“Jesus said, such days of deception are coming,

that if it were possible,

even the very elect would be deceived.”

Pastor restated his assertion by adding,

“That even my own,

my elect, would be deceived.”

Pastor said,

“What does that mean?”

He spoke to the audience about how this was freshmen logic, and that Jesus' statement means,

“It's NOT going to happen. It can't happen!”

“Such deception will deceive people, if it were possible.

It would have to be so powerfully deceptive that it would deceive my own people,

which makes it impossible for my own people to be deceived.”

Pastor asked the audience,

“What is that thing that keeps us from being deceived?

It is knowing the Word of God.”

Pastor Jack, at this point, went back to his notes.

Lately, I have played out some of these teachings, as though I am having a conversation. I am not making this stuff up, and in one case, the person I was conversing with, told me that his opinion superseded the Word of God, which I was showing him. I have the crazy understanding and belief that all the answers and wisdom are in the Word of God; therefore, I lean heavily upon it.

I will add that many of our modern Bible translations are pathetic, and yet, because my pastor, and the church I attend use the New King James Version as their primary Bible, therefore, I too use it, but know this, I keep my eyes open. A problem though, because on my computer I do not have the NKJV and, therefore, go with the NASB.

"For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.” (Matthew 24:24 NASB)

One of the primary questions we should be asking as we read Matthew 24:24, is,

What is the context of Jesus' directed statement?

We can find the context by looking at the beginning of the chapter.

As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?"
(Matthew 24:3 NASB)

So the context is engulfed in a Jewish-oriented response to a Jewish audience, the disciples. (We do not know how many people fell under the category of being a disciple on that day, and may well have been as many as 120 people.)

Is there a parallel in the Gospels, to Matthew 24:24?

Yes, there is, and we find it in Mark 13. I chose a passage where the disciples, just as they did in the first couple of passages of Matthew 24, asked Jesus to tell them when these things would happen and what would be the signs.

“Tell us when is this to take place and what will be the sign when these things, all [of them], are about to be accomplished? And Jesus began to tell them, Be careful and watchful that no one misleads you [about it]. Many will come in [appropriating to themselves] the name [of Messiah] which belongs to Me [basing their claims on the use of My name], saying, I am [He]! And they will mislead many.”
(Mark 13:4-6 AMP)

In opposition to Pastor Jack's statement, the Apostle Mark tells us that they will mislead/deceive many.

Alright, since Matthew 24:24 is oriented toward the Jews, could I then foolishly say,

Does this apply to me, or to Christ-followers today?

Actually, it does, especially in the sense that we are living in the last moments, moments filled with ungodly turmoil, and at the rapture of the church it will be the end of the age of grace and the entrance of God's wrath upon the earth. Keep in mind that the church, is NOT subject to God's wrath, and because of this, we will be caught up to meet Christ in the air. When that happens,

• The antichrist will rapidly emerge on the scene;

• The two prophets from God will suddenly appear on the streets of Jerusalem, and they will show great signs and wonders;

• The final temple - the third one will be built;

• And a high priest will officiate the offerings, sacrifices, and all the other things that go on there – for 1260 days.

Alternate translations of Matthew 24:24 read like this:

“For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.” (KJV)

(Italicized wording indicates that it was added for clarity. Those words can change the meaning of the sentence, so be aware of that.)

“For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones. (NLT)

(Contrast the NLT with the KJV. Notice that the NLT directs us, appropriately, to a Jewish orientation.)

“... and shall show great signs and wonders; so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.” (ASV)

(Here the translation conveys what the purpose truly is.)

Remember, the origins of Jesus' response is to a Jewish audience, that asked Him two pointed questions,

• “Tell us, when will these things happen,

• And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”

Matthew 24:24 is merely a part of the answer to these two questions.

Quickly, before we deep dive, I want to point something out. One of the questions points toward “the end of the age.”

When does this take place and why does it matter?

The end has everything to do with the end of God's wrath, as far as the Jew is concerned, because this is where they finally get to see the Messiah they longed for to return to save them.

For the church, our understanding leans more toward the beginning of the Millennial reign of Christ. Now, to be honest, it might also take us all the way to the end of countable time – the great white throne. The reason I do not lean that way is that Jesus' response in Matthew 24:24 is oriented toward the Jewish community.

When Jesus said “false messiahs” -

There should have been an immediate correlation to Deuteronomy 13 chapter one, where it says.

"If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder, and the sign or the wonder comes true, concerning which he spoke to you, saying, 'Let us go after other gods (whom you have not known) and let us serve them,' you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. "You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him. "But that prophet or that dreamer of dreams shall be put to death, because he has counseled rebellion against the LORD your God who brought you from the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery, to seduce you from the way in which the LORD your God commanded you to walk. So you shall purge the evil from among you. (Deuteronomy 13:1-5 NASB)

So, Jesus defined what a false prophet/messiah is, and how to detect them. They will lead you go after other gods.

Do you not realize how subtle and yet complex that leading could be?

One of those potential “false messiahs”, as improbable as that seems, could just as easily be the high priest of the new temple. While Christianity does not speak of this – as this is extra-biblical information and a reason for many to balk at it, Islam prophecies speak about how the high priest, by all acceptable standards, will eventually turn to Islam; follow the Mahdi – who may well be the antichrist; will perform signs and wonders, by duplicating what the two witnesses from God will have done during their tenure here on earth.

Hopefully, you are beginning to understand how important the role these signs and wonders play in our ability to understand this passage, and who this false messiah may be.

Great signs and wonders, what is He talking about?

Again, this is a Jewish concept; however, it is applied to the person giving testimony in defense of or against someone. In the case of God's two witnesses, they will give testimony against Israel for their disbelief.

“A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed.” (Deuteronomy 19:15 NASB)

As an interesting side note, my oldest grandson asked me what I was studying. I pointed to Matthew 24:24 and read it to him. He said, I can't disagree with that, which told me he did not grasp what the verse was saying. I will be bold in saying, I don't think there are many Christians who grasp what this verse is telling them.

The two witnesses.

The thing I want you to pay attention to are signs and wonders.

"And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire. When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate, and they will send gifts to one another because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them. And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.”
(Revelation 11:3-13 NASB)

A quick recap of the signs and wonders.

• “If anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way.”

• “These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying;”

• “They have power over the waters to turn them into blood.”

• “And to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.”

So, what does the “false messiah” do?

He does the same thing as the two witnesses, with the same arrogance as the magicians of Egypt did.

"So Moses and Aaron did even as the LORD had commanded. And he lifted up the staff and struck the water that was in the Nile, in the sight of Pharaoh and in the sight of his servants, and all the water that was in the Nile was turned to blood. The fish that were in the Nile died, and the Nile became foul, so that the Egyptians could not drink water from the Nile. And the blood was through all the land of Egypt. But the magicians of Egypt did the same with their secret arts; and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he did not listen to them, as the LORD had said." (Exodus 7:20-22 NASB)

If you follow the story of the plagues upon Egypt, you find the magicians copying many of the plagues, but there was one they dared not try, and that was the death of the firstborn.

Now, let's talk about the elect for a moment.

Since we know that the answer Jesus gave is directed at Jews, and the usage of the term “elect” means chief priests, elders, high priests, and quite possibly rabbis,

Who is Jesus talking about when He says “ to mislead, if possible, even the elect.”?

He is talking about the leadership of Israel. So when Pastor Jack talks like he is talking about Christians, he is playing on thin ice.

Can a Christian be deceived?

Don't be foolish, we live on the brink of deception all the time. Why else would Jesus' first response to the disciples be this -

Jesus answered them, Be careful that no one misleads you [deceiving you and leading you into error]. (Matthew 24:4 AMP)

Considering that Eve did not have anyone else but Satan trying to deceive her, and she fell for it, what are your chances without being deeply embedded in the Word of God.

Let me ask you a question.

Did you voluntarily rush out and get vaccinated, on the basis of what your trustworthy government told you?

Then you were deceived. If so, just repent and put your trust in God once again.

So, is Matthew 24:24 telling us it is impossible to be deceived?

Hardly, and if you listen to the Holy Spirit speaking to your heart, you know it is not telling you that; and Matthew 24:4 substantiates that, as I pointed out above.

There is nothing in scripture that tells you to chant some passage repeatedly and you won't be deceived, that ability to fend off deception only comes from spending time in the Word of God, learning what His nature and character are, and putting your trust in Him.