Comments for September 28

v.9 - David's success is attributed directly to God. His life was in perspective. God was with him as he had not been with Saul. David's attitude before God was, is seems, almost second to none (apart from Jesus, of course) and the result was a great deal of blessing. But let us remember the terrible sufferings he had too. We should not assume that God has deserted us when we go through the bad times. David is a great example to us. 2Sam.3:1, 5:10

v.2 Whilst Saul was acting as a ruler David had been acting as a shepherd over the people. So the time when David had been fleeing from Saul was not all self preservation. It appears that he had been succouring the people who were oppressed by Saul.
v.4 Whilst this follows on from his anointing we know that David did not take Jebus until seven and a half years after he had been king in Hebron. 2 Samuel 2:11

v.1 The word Hebron means "a community or an alliance", so it was an appropriate place for this statement 'Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh'.

:1-3 David is king in Hebron
:4-9 David takes Jebus - Jerusalem.
:10-47 David's mighty men and some of their exploits
:15-19 Three of the mighty men obtain water from Bethlehem for David
:
The first seven and a half years of David's reign is passed over in a few verses! We learnt that the mighty men of David were with him whilst he was fleeing from Saul. So it is clear, therefore, that David developed and trained an army from amongst the 600 men that were with him. Those fugitive years provided David with an excellent opportunity for building a loyal army ready for when he was on the throne.

We might wonder why people gathered to David at 'Hebron'. Saul had been king in Gibeah. Gibeah was in Benjamin (1 Samuel 13:2) and Hebron was in Judah (Joshua 20:2) However there may be a reason why Hebron was chosen before any other city of Judah - Hebron was the burying place of Abraham and other patriarchs.

v.1 Just consider the political and geographical problems which existed here. All Israel at this time was separated by the Philistine’s army which had crept as far north as the Jezreel valley where Saul fought his last battle. Abner has setup Ishbosheth on the other side Jordan at Mahanaim. David was south, well below Jerusalem at Hebron and had a very tricky diplomatic situation on his hands to deal with Achish the King of Gath or he will have enemies on every side.

11:1 'thy bone and thy flesh' quotes Gen 2:23 - the men of Israel - all of them it seems - wanted to associate with David in a very close relationship.

V.12 Only two of the three mighties are mentioned in this record, Jashobeam (V11) and Eleazar (V.12) The third Shammah, (2Sam 23:11) is not named in this passage.  

It was fitting that David should first reign in Hebron.  That is the burial site of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
Here was the fulfilment of the promises, in part.  But burial sites are not important to God.  He had His sights on Jerusalem, from where His Son will reign. So it becomes even more fitting that David should later reign in that city.

V.3 David reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem (1Kin 2:11).  His kingdom exceeded the territory of the tribal allotments as it included Edom, Moab, Ammon, and Aram.  Solomon extended David's kingdom northward to reach the Euphrates.

V.41 Note that Uriah the Hittite, whose wife David stole, and whom he had murdered, was named among the valiant thirty. 

With the removal of both Abner and Ishbosheth, it would appear that there was nothing to hinder the acceptance of David as king over the entire nation. The alternative, national chaos, was not acceptable. The Philistine wars had taught the whole nation the need for cohesion under a strong leader. We will see in tomorrow's reading even in the Ziklag days David had been joined by a considerable number from the tribe of Benjamin(2Chron 12:1,2,16).

V.11 Israel had two classes of leaders: hirelings and shepherds.  Saul was a hireling because he was interested in his own welfare above his people.  David, on the other hand, was a shepherd who put the needs of his people ahead of himself.  David was a shadow of Jesus, the good shepherd (John 10:11-14). 

What class are we?  Do we stick it out in awkward ecclesial settings, and remain non-judgemental peacemakers, thus being shepherds?  Or are we complainers; instigators of strife or division; judgemental elitists, showing ourselves to be hirelings?    

11  Notice the references to Joab in this chapter. Whilst his name occurs a number of times in the list of David’s 30 mighty men it is never as one of the mighty men. His armour bearer is mentioned and brothers.

V.4-9 Within a minimal time period the administration of the kingdom would have been transferred to Jerusalem. A large amount of construction would have taken place, The walls would have been both strengthened and built higher, the slope of the hill inside would have levelled (MILLO V.8 means a filled in rampart). The city would have been expanded to accommodate the temple which would have been built latter. The city would also have been made worthy of its increasingly prosperous kingdom. 

11:18 The behaviour of the three mighty men indicates their commitment to pleasing David, even risking their lives for what might have been a whim on David’s part. Are we so committed to the greater son of David?

11:4 In saying David went to Jerusalem we must realise that these events were some years after David was anointed king in Hebron. Chronicles passes over the early years of David’s reign in Hebron because the focus is on the kingdom based in Jerusalem.

V.4 David came to attack Jebus.  The Jebusites had been old enemies of Israel.  Joshua had defeated their king Adonizedek (Josh 10:1,23).  The Jebusites originated from Canaan, who was the fourth son of Ham (Gen 10:6,16).  They were under a curse, and were doomed to be defeated (Gen 9:22-27).  The temple was built on the site of the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.  David negotiated with Araunah to buy the location (2Sam 24:23;1Chron 21:24,25). 

11:2 The words of the men of Israel gives us an insight into how David was, even though running from Saul for many years, a powerful influence for good in Saul’s’ kingdom.

V.4 Jerusalem is the Holy City. It is the place where God chose to place His Name (1Kin 11:36). Yahweh is always watching His city (Isa 62:6). Jerusalem is the future capital of the world, from where Jesus will reign over the world (Matt 5:35).

Jerusalem means habitation of peace, and so it will be when Jesus reigns in His peaceful Kingdom. Jebus, on the other hand, means trodden (that is, a place trodden down hard that could use used as a threshing floor). Jebus was a bone of contention for Israel who tried to take it but could not (Josh 15:63; Judg 1:21). Jebus was finally taken by David (2Sam 5:6-9).

Jerusalem today is a burdensome stone for many people who lay claim to her (Zech 12:3). Even though Israel has control over Jerusalem, it does not have complete freedom over her, as it is a cause of contention for many non-Israeli interests.

Only when Jesus returns will Jerusalem be free of Gentile influence. Until that time, it shall be trodden down of the Gentiles (Luke 21:24) (KJV). Interesting to see the phrase trodden down, as this is the meaning of Jebus, the contentious predecessor to Jerusalem.

11:5-9 It is only here that we learn of the way in which Jerusalem was taken. Relevant to the theme of the chronicles where the focus is on worship.

1Chron 11:2 - ["feed" KJV, "shepherd" NIV from Heb. "ra'ah" (7462) means "to shepherd, to rule, to graze, feed, tend a flock, pasture a flock"].

1Chron 11:4 - "Jerusalem" [(3389) means "founded peaceful, teaching of peace, possession of peace"]; "Jebus" [(2982) means "threshing place, trodden"]; 1Chron 11:5 - "Zion" [(6726) means "parched place"].

1Chron 11:5,7 - "castle" [Heb. "matsud" (4686) means "net, (abstractly) capture, snare, castle, prey, strong place, defence, fortress" etc.]; castle [Heb. "metsad" (4679) means "a fastness (as a covert of ambush), castle, fort, fortress, stronghold, mountain-fastness" etc.].

1Chron 11:11 - "Jashobeam" [(3434) means "the people will return"]; "Hachmonite" [(1121) means "son"].

1Chron 11:12-13 - "Eleazar" [(499) means "God (is) helper, God has helped"]; "Dodo" [(3734) means "loving, his beloved"]; "Ahohite" [(266) means "brother of rest"]; three; "David" [(1732) means "loving, beloved"]; "Pasdammim" [(6450) means "palm of bloodshed, boundary of blood"]; "Barley" [Heb. "se'orah" (8184) means "barley" (the first grain to rise up)]; "Philistines" [(6430) means "immigrants" (some view the Philistines and Goliath as representing sin)]. 1Chron 11:14 - "set themselves in the midst of that parcel...slew the Philistines; and the LORD saved them by a great deliverance" (this perhaps reminds us that as believers we have to battle sin to obtain our portion but credit for the deliverance, victory and salvation belongs to another). 1Chron 11:15 - "David"; three; "cave" [Heb."m'arah" (4631) means "cave, den, hole"]; "rock" [Heb. "tsoor" (6697) means "rock, (figuratively) refuge" etc.]; Philistines; "Rephaim" [(7497) means "giants"] - this perhaps reminds us of Christ who defeated sin and rested three days in a tomb covered by a rock.

11:4  In mentioning that the Jebusites were ‘the inhabitants of the land’ we are caused to remember that Jerusalem had not been a focus for Saul. He was not really interested in the place that God had chosen. Doubtless because he had not been thinking about the ark as David had during his youth.

11:4   David’s taking Jerusalem was seven and a half years into his reign. The narrative here is in a hurry to progress to the time when the ark was in the place of God’s choosing.

11:18            David’s act here of pouring out the water brought from Bethlehem shows David’s clear understanding of the principles of the law. Lev 17:11 teaches that the life is in the blood.  Deut 12:16,24 teach that the blood of a slain animal was to be poured out like water on the ground. The men were “living sacrifices” – Rom 12:1 and David appreciated this.

Rings of steel

It's interesting to look at the structure of the army that put David on the throne and kept him there. Think of this list as a pyramid with the point at the top and a wide base at the bottom. The further to the top, the closer to David.

1) The LORD of hosts (armies) that was with David (v9)

2) David himself, a mighty man who had slain the champion of the Philistines

3) Personal bodyguard - Abishai, his cousin, who had slain 300 men in one go (v20, 2Sam 21:15-17)

4) David's close family, Joab, Asahel (and Abishai) and David's brothers, all exceptional fighters (see 1Chron 20:6-7)

5) The mighty men, each of whom would risk their lives for David's wellbeing (v17-19)

6) David's personal guard (v22-25) led by Benaiah who had faced a lion in personal combat

7) The loyal band men who had been with him through all his trials prior to becoming King

8) The armies of Judah (David's home tribe) led by Joab

9) The armies of the rest of the tribes of Israel

You can see from this list that the layers of protection David had relied completely on relationships of family and loyalty, with the closest to him being from his own family and friends.

11:8     “Millo” is not a district of Jerusalem. Rather it is a Hebrew word which has been untranslated and means a retaining wall. 

11:13  When we learn that David was made king according to the word of Samuel we are reminded of what happened in 1Sam 16:13.

11:1   “Then all Israel …” indicates that the people were simply waiting for the death of Saul before making David king. There seems, amongst the people at least, no question as to who was going to succeed Saul.

11:21 When saying Abishai was “more honourable” this is not a comment on his morality for it was he who suggested David kill Saul 1Sam 26:8 and Shimei2Sam 16:9

11:2    The way that David leading out and bringing in Israel highlights that the people saw him as a shepherd of the people – see Num 27:17

11:15-18  It would seem that the act of bravery and loyalty to David took place when David was in the Cave of Adullam. From Adullam to Bethlehem, in a straight line, is about 12 miles. So we get some idea of the actions of these three men who fetched the water for David.

11:1 Hebron had been promised to Caleb  - Josh 14:13 – and Caleb was of the tribe of Judah Num 13:6. So it seems most appropriate that the first king of the tribe of Judah was crowned in the town given to the faithful spy of the tribe of Judah

11:4 this time has been a long time coming. David was anointed king as a teenager. He is now thirty years old and so has spent many a long year waiting for this time, sometimes wondering if it would ever happen. In a similar manner we “put on Christ” in readiness for his return. However from our perspective the time may seem long. The coming of the kingdom is as certain as David’s anointing.

11:4-9 The taking of Jebus (Jerusalem) marked a significant point in David’s life and reign. So here events covering a significant period of time are brought together to show the focus of David. Repairing the rest of the city was a pre-cursor to establishing a place in Jerusalem for the ark of the covenant which was some years away from David taking the city. One might suppose the lesson we are expected to take from this is that patience is required to the completion of the plan our Father has put in place.

It is interesting that amongst David's mighty men are 3 gentiles. 

1Ch 11:39  Zelek the Ammonite,

1Ch 11:41  Uriah the Hittite

1Ch 11:46  Ithmah the Moabite,

Two descended from Lot and 1 a Canaanite. 

11:8 “repairing” the city was actually strengthening its defences and so Joab, captain of the army, had the responsibility for the fortification of the city.

STRONG SUPPORTERS

As we browse through the list of David’s mighty men, the thing that stands out for us is their faith, bravery and amazing strength. No wonder they were David’s mighty men!

But despite the fact that they broke through enemy lines, killed giants, killed lions, and stood single handedly against whole armies, the one thing they all had in common was something that any of us can do. Here it is: “Now these are the chiefs of David’s mighty men, who gave him strong support in his kingdom, together with all Israel, to make him king, according to the word of the Lord concerning Israel.” (1Chron 11:10).

The common attribute David’s mighty men had was their strong support of David. Very few of us ever get to be king, let alone the most powerful king in the world. So that leaves us as either supporters or protesters of the people in charge. Like David’s mighty men, let’s make sure that we are strong supporters of the people that lead us. Leaders can’t lead without support. Strong supporters make great leaders.

11:1  We might wonder why Hebron was chosen. One reson could be that it was the burial place of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. A desire to associate the kingdom with the patriarchs. We have to remember that at this time Jerusalem (Jebus) was still controlled by the Jebusites.

11  As we read through what is now historical narrative we should recognise that whilst Saul’s reign is covered in just one chapter, and even then focuses on the end of his reign, we now move to God’s choice as king and so we will find many chapters devoted to him.

v.13 - What a lesson. We must never ignore God's willingness to purge us and make us righteous. It is our choice. Let us make the right one. Isa.5:4-6, 2Cor.7:1, Matt.23:37,38. By the time we reach the state of Rev.22:11, it will be too late.

24:1 Jehoiachim's captivity, spoken of in Dan 1:2
This marks the beginning of the final siege of Jerusalem by the Babylonians
24:16 & 21 The untimely death of Ezekiel's wife marks the tragedy of the destruction of the temple. Israel had a desire to the temple like Ezekiel had for his wife - though it is clear that Israel did not have a love for the temple. It was just a symbol to them.
The fact that Ezekiel was not to mourn - 24:16 - was to show Israel that Yahweh was not mourning for the destruction of the temple and the taking captive of His people. Such was their depravity that the 'throne of the Lord' was no longer as important to Him as the reproof of His people.
Consider Ezekiel's wife who has had to live with a dumb husband for four and a half years. He was struck dumb in the fifth year of Jehoiachin's captivity 1:2 and his wife died in the ninth year - 24:1
How did he communicate with the wife that he loved? How did she deal with the fact that they could not hold the normal conversations of a husband and wife. He was a young man of thirty years old so we can presume that his wife was also young.

v.7 - Is this a reference to what they were told to do with the blood of animals in preparation for eating them? Deut.12:16,24

Doubtless when Jerusalem finally fell to the Babylonians the Jews in captivity would hear the gloating of the Babylonians. However the issue was to be confirmed by the sad words of those Jews who had 'escaped' (24:27). And Ezekiel's mouth would be opened - but he would not have a joyful message to speak.

24:19 And so Ezekiel's behaviour had the desired effect. The people could not understand his behaviour and were moved to ask. But they would not like what he told them. Maybe the implication is that by now the people were not really listening to Ezekiel and so these events were designed by God to force them to ask.

:17 The forbearing of mourning for the dead gets its roots from the sin of Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron, who got stone drunk on the next day(8th)after their consecration(Lev 10:1). The stipulation of mourning was first placed on Aaron,Ithamar, and Eleazar, and then consequently carried down to the Nazarite Law found in Numbers 6:9.
The image of one who "dies suddenly by him" causing uncleanness speaks of the entrance of sin that so easily can take away our separation. Paul picks up the symbol in Rom 7:18-25, where the analogy is made of the battle between the law of sin(in the body) and the law of the mind. Under Roman practice, they would tie a rotting corpse to a prisoner until he dies. Paul would have seen this act and made allusion to it.
Ezekiel would have been restricted in a similar principle, and was told to "bind the tire(like the mitre indicating separation)of thine head upon thee"(vs 16). This would show the separateness he was to have in type as God would pour out his righteous judgements upon the wayward nation.

24:6 In speaking to a 'cauldron' Ezekiel is reminding the Jews of how they had spoken of themselves (Eze 11:3) but whereas in chapter 11 the Jews  were seeing themselves as only being trapped Ezekiel is now saying that they will be taken into captivity.

V.6 This invasion and siege would be final. there would be none who at the end of this conquest, who would decide who would go into captivity, and who would stay behind. The flesh would be taken out of the pot to be consumed by God's judgements.

V.14 Yahweh had vowed to destroy Jerusalem, and nothing could dissuade Him from that task.  The Lord Jesus will cleanse the earth of unrighteousness when He returns, and nothing will dissuade Him (2Pet 3:10).  Let us make sure that we stand separate from the world so that we be not caught up in its calamity (1John 2:15-17; James 1:27,4:4).

Eze 24:1,2 tells us that God spoke to Ezekiel in Babylon on the exact same day that Jerusalem, back home, was besieged by Nebuchadnezzar, (see 2Kin 25:1). If today’s chapter all happens at the same time, then the death of Ezekiel’s wife, that evening, is a fitting illustration of Jerusalem (a symbol of God’s Wife) being taken captive.

24:1 As this is the beginning of the final siege of Jerusalem it answers to 2Kin 25:1

V.18 Ezekiel had been a faithful prophet, showing Yahweh's will by demonstration.  His wife had supported him through his witness, even through the difficult dumb years.  Her death has now become a demonstration of the demise of Jerusalem. 

From a human point of view, this all seems cruel and uncomfortable.  The love of Ezekiel's life suddenly taken away (he would live 17 more years without her); a faithful woman cut down, not as a result of a particular sin, but for a demonstration. 

But, let us look at it from Yahweh's point of view. He has mastery over all life and death; as Job says: The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away; may the name of the LORD be praised (Job 1:21).  But Yahweh is merciful and can restore life (1Sam 2:6).  He has promised to restore the faithful (Psa 31:23).  

With this knowledge, we have the assurance, that, by Yahweh's grace, Ezekiel and his faithful wife will be restored to eternal life ...Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life (Rev 2:10).

24:18 The death of Ezekiel’s wife was four and a half years after he had been struck dumb. So for the latter part of her life she had not been able to speak with him.

V.18 The demonstrative prophet Ezekiel lost his betrothed whom he loved.  What heart wrenching sadness it must have been for him, although he was not allowed to show it.  His wife had joined him in matrimony and she had taken his name. 

Judah was betrothed to Yahweh, and Jerusalem is where He placed His name (1Kin 11:36).  Judah's unfaithfulness to Yahweh must have distressed Him greatly.  Yet that did not dissuade Him from sternly administering divine retribution (2Kin 23:26,27).

24:24 All these terrible events that happened to Israel were for a purpose. ‘Ye shall know that I am the Lord’. Even though Israel had received the law and had the temple they did not truly appreciate that Yahweh was their lord – that is why they served other gods. These events were to show them who actually controlled their destiny.

v 1,2 First Principles>Kingdom of God>Was overturned>History of fulfilment
5. Judah (the Southern Kingdom) continued for another 200 years after Israel, the Northern Kingdom and the last king was Zedekiah. It was overturned three times (prophesied Eze 21:25-27), then to remain desolate for many years Hos 3:4.
 - The first overturning was in BC 606 in Jehoiakim's reign. (Prophesied Jer 27:6) 2Kin 24:2, Dan 1:1, 2Chron 36:6.
 - The second overturning was in BC 597 in Jehoiachin's reign 2Kin 4:10, 2Chron 36:10.
 - The third overturning was in BC 587 in Zedekiah's reign. (Prophesied Jer 21:7, Jer 34:2) Jer 38:28, Jer 39:1,2, Jer 52:4-5, Eze 24:1-2, 2Kin 25:2, 2Chron 36:7.
Go to Deut 28:49 to see more details of the history of Israel and its overturning.

Vs.1,2 See 2Kin 25:1.

Vs.4,5 The choice pieces of meat represented the ruling class. The bones (meatless) represented the ordinary folk. The scum (KJV); corrosion (ESV) was the poison that represented the wickedness that spread throughout Judean society.

V.6 No lot (KJV); without making any choice (ESV), indicates that nothing was to be used as a determinant as to who lives or who dies.

V.7 Putting something on the top of a rock (KJV); bare rock (ESV) means that something is boldly displayed. No attempt was made to cover up the innocent blood that Jerusalem had shed.

24:27 We should remember that Ezekiel has been dumb, only speaking the words which God gave him, since Eze 3:26. Everything we have read so far has been spoken at the direct command of God.

24:2   So the date in verse 1 marks the precise beginning of the final siege of Jerusalem in the reign of Zedekiah.

24:21 Doubtless there were those who could identify with Ezekiel’s sorrow when his wife died. Now that experience is presented as what was to befall those who had seen Ezekiel’s sorrow when their children were to be taken from them by the Chaldeans. One wonders whether the extremity of what they had seen had any impact at all on the people who saw Ezekiel’s sorrow.

24:16-18         As awful as it must have been the death of Ezekiel’s wife was designed – as a parable – to force the rebellious children of Israel in Babylon to confront the consequence of their sins. They loved the temple but it was going to be destroyed because of their sins.

1. Eze 24:1-14 - parable of the heated pot:

2. Eze 24:1-2 - the dates used by Jeremiah also correspond to the years of Jehoiachin's captivity and the years of Zedekiah's reign which began circa 597 BC (Eze 1:2); despite the distance, word of Jerusalem being under siege via parable came to Ezekiel the exact day Nebuchadnezzar began his seige of Jerusalem (2Kin 25:1;Jer 39:1; 52:4) and when the date was later confirmed those in Babylon would know this was a divinely inspired parable prophecy.

3. Eze 24:3 "pot"<5518>; Eze 11:3 "caldron"<5518>.

4. Eze 24:3-5 - Jerusalem was the pot and those in it were 'cooked' so to speak; v5 "bones"<6106>.

5. Eze 24:6 - "scum"<2457> (scum perhaps indicates the bloodshed, impurity and sinfulness of Israel Eze 24:11-13); v6 taken out piece by piece with no "lot"<1486> suggests there would be no partial captivity/dispersion choice as before, this time (587 BC) it would involve all.

6. Eze 24:7-8 - (NIV) "'For the blood she shed is in her midst: She poured it on the bare rock; she did not pour it on the ground, where the dust would cover it. To stir up wrath and take revenge I put her blood on the bare rock, so that it would not be covered" - Jerusalem's sinfulness and shame couldnt be hidden.

7. Eze 24:9 - "fire" may pertain to God's judgments.

8. Eze 24:13 - "till" gives a glimpse of the final purging (Eze 36:25,33) resulting in Israel being reconciled to
God.

9. Eze 24:15-24 - the death/parable of Ezekiel's wife:

10. the death of Ezekiel's wife was on the day the siege of Jerusalem began (Eze 24:1,18;2Kin 25:1) and was a sign that Jerusalem would similarly be taken away and that there would be no show of grief.

11. Eze 24:21 - "sanctuary"<4720> = the temple.

12. Eze 24:23 - "tires"<6287>.

13. Eze 24:25-27 - the end of the prophet's dumbness:

14. for a time Christ was dumb (Isa 53:7;Matt 27:12;Mark 14:61;15:5) which reminds me of Ezekiel's dumbness (Eze 3:24-27;Eze 24:1,26,27;Jer 52:4-7;Eze 33:21-22) and when the one who escaped from Jerusalem arrived Ezekiel could again speak freely just as was prophesied so the people might recognize God, His intervention, and that Ezekiel was a true prophet of God.

15. The reason Ezekiel was dumb is that Israel was a rebellious house and perhaps it was the reason for Christ being dumb, also, they each were bound, and both were in an enclosure or house (Eze 3:24-26; Christ was bound to a cross, chased the money changers from his Father's house, was in the tomb enclusure for three days, and was resurrected to his Father's house in heaven).

24:2-5  It is often said “there is none as blind as those who cannot see” meaning people have closed their eyes to what is around them. So it was with Judah on this occasion. So Ezekiel is moved by God to tell a parable. In so doing their experience is presented in story form with which, hopefully, they would relate. The very fact that God moved Ezekiel to tell the parable indicates that God was still striving to get Judah to see their sins and repent.

Purging

"In thy filthiness is lewdness: because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee." Eze 24:13

Perhaps the above verse sums up the chapter we're reading, and also the dire situation Israel and Judah are now in. The graphic description of the cauldron with meat and bones in it all boils down to this single verse -- there was no way to keep purging Israel and Judah of their evil practices, when they just returned to them afterwards.

24:9   Habakkuk speaks of the same time as Ezekiel and so it is not surprising that he uses similar language see Hab 2:9

24:7-8 In parable Ezekiel is to show that when Jerusalem was finally overthrown by the Chaldeans it would be known by everyone in the nations round about.

24:18   The death of Ezekiel’s wife was an object lesson about God’s loss of Israel. Doubly distressing for Ezekiel – he had lost the one person with whom he would have been able to share – albeit with difficulty because of his dumbness – his concerns.

24:21  The temple was that in which Israel placed their confidence – not in the God who should have been able to dwell there. So, to establish His abhorrence for the behaviour of the nation, God was going to allow it to be destroyed and for gentiles to pollute it. After all His people had already polluted it with the behaviour.

24:2   The people in captivity would not know yet that the city was finally under siege. The words of the prophet informed the people of what was happening in Jerusalem. So they had a further opportunity to consider their actions now.

24:9  We may not see false teaching wearying anyone. However the false worship spoken of here had the effect of wearying those who were involved in it. How is that, we may ask. The answer is simply that false worship never satisfies. There will always be a striving for something new. By contrast the gospel satisfies because it is complete. It does not weary men and women, rather it comforts.

24:26 Here Ezekiel is being told that when the city of Jerusalem is taken he will learn about it. We see he did –  33:21.

24:1-3 The date marks the beginning of the end for Judah and Jerusalem. The final siege has begun. Ezekiel was told the information by the inspiration of God. The date is recorded in the historical record – 2Kin 25:1. Whilst in captivity the nation had still not turned back to serving Yahweh. So both those in the land who could hear the words of Jeremiah and those in captivity who could hear the words of Ezekiel simply disregarded His words – behaving as if the prophecies of destruction would never happen.

Do we behave as if God is not going to intervene in our lives? Do we disregard the evidence because we are so wrapped up in the things of this life?

24:23-24  Ezekiel’s wife had died and he had not shown any sign of mourning. This was a macabre picture of the final overthrow of Jerusalem in the final days of Zedekiah. God would not lament over the fall of the city! How awful is that!

24:14  God’s words are ominous. The fact that God had spoken them was the guarantee that the punishment would come.

Are we so confident that what our father has said about the return of Christ? Or do we sometimes wonder because things seem to continue as if He is not in control?

24:2-14 The graphic description of a cauldron boiling away on a fire is an apt description of how Jerusalem was at this time as Zedekiah and the Jews were besieged by the Chaldeans.

v.15 - This reassurance is the same one that God gave to Moses, and that we can surely all take to ourselves. Exo 4:11,12. Let us not be afraid of the reaction our preaching might receive. We know that within the words of God there are truths that cannot be gainsaid. Acts 6:10, 24:25, 26:28, 2Tim.4:16-17

v.6 Whilst we tend to think of the Olivet prophecy as showing things about the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 and the end of our age - which doubtless it is - it is worthy of note that throughout the prophecy Jesus is concerned time and time again to warn the disciples of the personal dangers and problems that they will encounter and to encourage them telling them that they will be able to survive the problems.
This point is seen even more clearly in Matthew where chapters 24 and 25are the Olivet prophecy. Chapter 25 concentrates, with three parables, on the important things the disciples must do to be prepared.
v.20 'Jerusalem encompassed with armies' explains the abomination of desolation spoken of in the two other accounts of the prophecy Matthew 24:15 Mark 13:14

When Jesus cursed the fig tree it withered up. The next day Peter noticed it's withered state and draws Jesus' attention to it saying (Mark 11:21) 'behold the fig tree. This took place on the mount of Olives, or close by as the disciples were coming into the city from Bethany. Now (21:29) Jesus, on the mount of Olives, utilises Peter's comment - doubtless they could all see the withered fig tree as Jesus spoke here.

:21 'flee to the mountains' quotes the words of the angels to Lot (Genesis 19:17) - the lesson is clear. The city is to be destroyed by God so follow the example of Lot.

21:37 This comment describes what Jesus did each evening during the last week of his life - possible providing Judas with the knowledge as to where to find Jesus when he had left the upper room.

V.24 God fulfils his threats. Therefore we know that He will also fulfil His promises. He will fulfil His promises with respect to both Jew and Gentile, for there is no distinction. Gal 3:28; , Rom 10:12

Vs.34,35 Luke's account of the Olivet prophecy parallels that of Matt 24.  Whereas most of it speaks of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, there is a present day exhortation for us.  We must be constantly on watch for the return of our Lord (Mark 13:33-37). 

Watching implies being aware of the geo-political signs (via prophecy); and being actively engaged in the work of the Lord (Luke 12:43).  On the other hand, we should be wary of self-indulgence which detracts from our work in the Lord.

21:27 Notice Jesus says ‘they’ whereas much of what Jesus has to say is particularly relevant to the disciples. He was, after all, answering their question. The Olivet prophecy speaks of the destruction of Jerusalem in AD70 and the end time. We have to, carefully, sort out what bits relate to what events.

Vs.25-28 Do not these verses express the mood of the present world?  But, we should take heart and be encouraged knowing that our lives will soon change.  For we know that Jesus will soon be here.  Let's make sure we're ready!

21:15 That the disciples’ adversaries were not able to answer the things the disciples said is seen in Acts 6:10

21:37-38 After finishing the recording of Christ's address, Luke adds on that during his final brief stay in Jerusalem that Christ's daily routine was to teach in the temple during the day and at night lodging on the Mount of Olives. All the people would raise early in the morning, go to the temple and listen to him.

V.36 This prophecy could apply to 70 AD, or to the end times, or to both.  In any event, Jesus gives advice that applies to all time: Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.

21:6   That there was to be ‘not left one stone upon another’ quotes the context of Zech 5:4 which speaks of how a leprous house was to be dealt with.

21:5 The disciples’ comments about the opulence of the temple can be seen here to be a direct response to Jesus’ comment about the poor widow. It would appear that the disciples may well have been commenting on the beauty of the temple in the context of gifts being given to adorn it. However Jesus is quick to show them that opulence in the building of itself was no guarantee of its permanence,

V.24 The times of the Gentiles will be fulfilled when Jesus returns and sets up His Kingdom. Until then, Jerusalem will be a bone of contention. It will be a burdensome stone (Zech 12:3).

Jerusalem will be invaded and much destruction will take place (Zech 14:2). But, Jesus will save His city and His people because those who would invade this burdensome stone will pay for it. Then peace will reign in Jerusalem (Isa 2:2-4).

v20:  see Eze 38:16

Luke 21:22 Jesus says in the Mount Olivet prophecy “these be the days of vengeance that all things which are written may be fulfilled.”   Jesus identifies "day of vengeance" Isa 61:2 with the events to come in AD70.  At the beginning of Jesus ministry he went into synagogue and read Isa 61:1-2.  He stopped reading part way through verse 2 and did not read “the days of vengeance of our God.”  Yet Jesus tells us that the events coming on Israel in AD70 would be a fulfilment of this prophecy.  Therefore, reconciling Luke 4:17-21 and Luke 21:22 we understand that Jesus was telling his listeners that the days of vengeance of AD70 he describes in Luke 21 would come on Israel after he had completed his earthly ministry (Luke 4:18-19).

21:23 ‘Woe unto them that are with child’ is a reflection of the horrors of siege. Moses had warned – Deut 28:56 – that cannibalism would be found in sieges of Jerusalem.

21:18  The promise that ‘a hair of your head’ will not perish reminds the disciples of the experience of Daniel’s three friends  - Dan 3:27

 Luke 21:29 -

21:14  The encouragement as to how to deal with answering opponents draws upon the experience of Daniel’s three friends – Dan 3:16

21:18 The promise that ‘a hair of your head’ will not perish reminds the disciples of the experience of Daniel’s three friends  - Dan 3:27

What Luke 21 (the Olivet Prophecy) is about

If we pay close attention to the context we will notice that this chapter begins with Jesus telling us about the destruction of the temple (v6) and this leads to the question from the disciples "when will these things be?" (v7). The whole of the Olivet prophecy should therefore be viewed as being an answer to this question. When we view it like this it becomes much easier to decipher the individual parts of the prophecy, so let's have a go at one now:

"The powers of heaven shall be shaken" v26

Lots of explanations have been put forward for what this means, but what does the scripture say when we keep it within the context? Well, at the creation of the second temple in the book of Haggai, God says this:

"For thus saith the Lord of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the Lord of hosts. The silver is mine, and the gold is mine, saith the Lord of hosts. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts." Hag 2:6-9

So we not only have the shaking of the heavens, but also the temple, and have you noticed another detail that matches Luke 21? "The silver is mine and the gold is mine".

Given that we have such a close match between Hag 2 and Luke 21 it is likely Jesus is referring to the Haggai passage. If we then fast forward to a few years later, the book of Hebrews again quotes Haggai:

"but now he hath promised, saying, Yet once more I shake not the earth only, but also heaven.
And this word, Yet once more, signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken, as of things that are made, that those things which cannot be shaken may remain." Heb 12:26-27

Here the context quite definitely is the new covenant (centred in Jesus) coming in to replace the old covenant (centred in the temple), and it is speaking of the removal of the physical, namely the temple and the laws associated with it.

Conclusion

Luke 21:26 is speaking about the destruction of the temple in AD70 by the Romans. The "powers of heaven" are the Jews to whom God gave the exclusive right to be His representatives on earth. This right was being taken away and this role from now on would be taken up by the (mostly Gentile) believers in Jesus Christ.
 

21:23  Jesus’ words echo the horrors that Jeremiah describes about the Babylonian invasion – Jer 16:3

Luke 21:24

“… and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”

In 70 AD, the Romans destroyed the city of Jerusalem and their temple and so all worshipped ceased, but it wasn’t until Bar Kochba’s revolt in 135 AD that Jerusalem was completely destroyed and most of the Jews scattered throughout the earth. The land of Israel was under Roman control.

Centuries later, the land of Israel fell into Byzantine hands. The Byzantines in turn were conquered by the Arab armies who claimed the land of Israel for Allah and Muhammad, his prophet. Then came the Crusaders and after them Muslim armies claimed the land. During the 15th Century, the land fell to the Ottoman Turks and they ruled in Israel up until the 20th Century.

During the 19th Century, a great revival swept through England with a love for the Jewish people. A young English boy was taught to pray by his mother the following prayer: “O Lord, we would not forget Thine ancient people, Israel, hasten the day when Israel shall again be Thy people and shall be restored to Thy favour and to their land.” The British were the first nation to be sympathetic to the Jewish people since their captivities. They were determined to restore the Jewish people back to their homeland.

When Britain was drawn into a war with the Ottoman Empire, they surrendered the land to the British forces and took the city of Jerusalem. The British General key in bringing this about was General Edmund Allenby - the boy who daily prayed to God to restore the Jewish people. God not only answered his prayers, but made him instrumental in doing so!

In 1917, with WW1 in progress, the restoration of the Jewish homeland began. Jerusalem under the control of the Jordanians now came under the control of the Jewish people. On December 11, 1917, General Allenby, with his and Jewish soldiers set foot on Jerusalem’s soil and stood before the Western Wall with and prayed. The night before his entry, he assembled his troops together and read to them Isa 31:5, and the following day said to his soldiers, “Men, this day has this scripture been fulfilled before your very eyes.”

General Allenby entered into the ancient city by foot through the Jaffa Gate. This was in sharp contrast to Kaiser Wilhelm II, who visited Jerusalem in 1898 insisted on entering seated on a white horse. 50 years later, on June 7, 1967 during the Six Day War, the Old City of Jerusalem on the east, which was controlled by the Jordanians, and the New City of Jerusalem on the west, now came under the control of the Jewish people. The world looked on stunned, as the tiny nation of Israel against all numerical odds, restored to them the split Jerusalem and made it their capital.

Is, therefore, Israel still trodden down by the Gentiles? Young’s Literal Translation renders this verse as: … and they shall fall by the mouth of the sword, and shall be led captive to all the nations, and Jerusalem shall be trodden down by nations, till the time of nations be fulfilled.” (cf. Rom 11:25-27).  Gentile rulership began at the time of the Babylonian captivity and continues to this day. The successive Gentile kingdoms dominate and rule the nations around the world, including the nation of Israel, and will remain so until Yahshua returns and establishes his Kingdom (Dan 2).

21:18 Jesus’ assurance about God’s care here is echoed by Paul – Acts 27:34 when encouraging the men on the ship that was to be shipwrecked,.

Luke 21:36

“Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”

Watch in our day has lost much of its original power. We watch TV with all its various programs like movies, the news, the stock market and all kinds of sports. Watching for us has become an inactive sideline. The Biblical concept to watch meant to emphasize carefulness, attentiveness, and vigilance much like a soldier kept alert for any signs of the enemy.

Overcome would be more explicit for us today, as this word implies to watch ourselves, do battle with our problems within and without and overcome, or conquer them (cf. Rom 12:21; 1John 5:4,5; Rev 21:7. In overcoming, we are not just watching, but fighting and defending ourselves against the enemy. The word, watch, as originally intended, covers the entire process of overcoming. We are to be able to identify the problems, engage them, and put them to flight (1Cor 16:13; 1Thess 5:6-8; Rev 3:2; Rev 16:15).

We are to watch/overcome and pray. These two things are vital to us; they are an integral part of the right foundation needed on how to escape the perils still to come upon the earth and to enter into the Kingdom of God. It is, therefore, extremely vital on what we should be concentrating on at such a time as this wherein we find ourselves.

Luke 21:7      We understand that the disciples wanted a sign as to when the things Jesus had said would happen. However their request for a “sign” was very different form the same sort of request form the Jewish leaders who wanted a “sign” – Luke 11:16 – Jesus opponents wanted to trap Jesus. His disciples wanted to understand his words. The words of the question are not the most important thing. It is the motive that is behind the question. Likewise we should consider why we ask certain questions.

Luke 21:7,22,32

"... This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled."

"When, therefore, Jesus said, 'This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled,' we must not think that he meant things which he expressly excluded from the life-time of 'that generation' by placing them at the expiry of the times of the Gentiles, and which could not occur in that generation by his own description of their scope. The history of the case is the interpretation of the case. That generation did not pass without witnessing the 'these things' about which the disciples asked. Forty years afterwards, the temple was destroyed, and Jerusalem laid in ashes. The Gentile down-treading of Jerusalem then commenced, and has continued till now." Nazareth Revisited, Robert Roberts, p. 256

Luke 21:24

“… and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.”

“The colonization of Judea by the Jews under the protection of a Gentile government is neither ‘restitution’, ‘restoration’, nor ‘regeneration’. Nothing short of a national establishment in the land, under Messiah and his brethren, constitutes either of them in a scriptural sense. The settlement of a colony there has no more to do with restitution than Meshullam’s farming in Artor’s valley. A hundred thousand Meshullams in Judea would be no restoration. Restitution is not simply a return of the race, but the settling up again of institutions that once existed there—the restitution or restoration of the Kingdom again of the Twelve Tribes; this is the re-institution, or restitution spoken of by all the prophets from Moses to the revealer of the Apocalypse to John. No Gentile powers can accomplish this, though aided by all the Jews on earth: for the Restored Kingdom exists under an amended Mosaic code, whose emendation (diorthrosis) can only be defined, administered, and adapted to the exigencies of the world by the King of Israel himself, and his associate priests and kings. . . I would have no delay; but I am compelled to confess that there will yet be some . . . The working out of the approaching judgment upon principles illustrated in God’s past dealings with nations and empires, requires time. Let us not therefore be impatient of arguments that do not confirm us in our wishes. ‘Thy will, O Lord, not mine be done!’”- Dr. John Thomas, 1852

21:2-4 Paul speaks of the sort of commitment we should have. We should not think that we would give more if we had more. Paul’s inspired counsel says we should give within the ability we have 2Cor 8:11-12

21:6      Jesus has already, a couple of days ago, said the same ting –  19:44. On that occasion he was making his way into the city of Jerusalem. Now he is outside the city looking across the Kedron valley towards the temple.

Luke 21:29,31,32

“And he spake unto them a parable; Behold the fig tree [Israel] and all the trees [Gentile nations]… when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand… This generation shall not pass away till all be fulfilled.”

World events are closely tied to the people and land of Israel being the center stage (cf. Isa 11:12) and those who are watching will know that Christ’s return is imminent, even “at the doors” (Matt 24:33).

The fig tree has deep spiritual significance, in that Christ in his parable pointed out that the good sweet figs, the early first fruits before summer, and the bad inedible figs pointed to the qualities of the people of Israel (Isa 28:4; Jer 24:2,3; 29:17; Hos 9:10). It was so also in Christ’s day and is so today. We have a few very good Jews who embrace Christ in Truth, a “remnant” (cf. Isa 11:11,16), and we have “bad, very bad” Jews (cf. Jer 24:3). It is no different for Israel today. Only a remnant of Jews from all 12 tribes are of the good, sweet crop (cf. Zech 13:8,9), while some will convert after Christ’s return, after which “all Israel shall be saved,” and the “fullness of the Gentiles” is over (Rom 11:26,27).

Christ tells us to "learn" the parable of the fig tree (Matt 24:32,33) and all the trees, an extremely important prophecy that applies to our time. So, when did the fig tree (Israel) bud, be born, and emerge onto the world scene?

We had the First Zionist Congress in Basle, Switzerland in 1897; The Balfour Declaration, 1917; San Remo Peace Conference, Italy, 1920; The League of Nations’ British Mandate, 1922.  These paved the way to a national homeland and waves of Jewish immigration. The British White Paper of Neville Chamberlain in 1939 repudiated the Balfour Declaration, and severely restricted the free settlement of Jewish refugees. The League of Nations Mandate for Palestine was transferred to the United Nations, Article 80 of the UN Charter, 1946, recognized the rights of the Jewish people. With the support of the U.S. President, Harry Truman, the independent State of Israel was born on May 14, 1948, and initiated the first Arab-Israeli conflict, the War of Independence, in 1948/49. This created a refugee crises for both Arabs and Jews. Under the UN Charter, the Palestinians could have lived peaceably with Israel, but they chose war fueled by their hatred for Israel. The Law of Return, 1950, opened Israel to Jews from over 60 countries. Further Arab aggressions ignited the Six-Day War in 1967, and the Yom Kippur war in 1973, each time “to wipe Israel off the map” (Psa 83:4).  Egypt and Israel sign the Camp David Accords, leading to a Peace Treaty in 1979. The Hamas Covenant of 1988, a Fatwa for genocide, promoted the destruction of the Jewish State through Jihad and replace it with the Islamic Caliphate. The World Council of Churches founded in 1948 promotes the view of Replacement Theology and do not recognize the rights of the Jews to their ancestral homeland, that their very existence is illegitimate, and call on its church members to support a boycott of Israeli settlements, produce, and services! Jerusalem was declared and officially recognized as the capital of Israel by the United States on Dec 6, 2017.

The next Middle East war against Israel will in all probability be the Gog-Magog war of Eze 38, Eze 39, but they will be defeated (Eze 39:4,5; Zech 14:3), Israel will not be wiped off the map (Isa 45:17; Jer 31:36,37; Zech 14), and the remnant saved (Isa 59:20; Zech 13:8,9). Christ will gather all the Gentile nations who sought to destroy Israel and judge them accordingly.

What a momentous age we live in! No other previous generation has witnessed what we witness today! Zion is built up (Psa 102:13-16), but the best is still to come! Yahoshua, the Messiah, is coming very soon, and he will be King over all the earth with all the nations going up to Jerusalem, the capital city of the world,  year to year to worship Christ who will reign from Jerusalem (Isa 2:3; Zech 14:16,17;).  Praise Yahweh!

21:24 In saying that the people would fall by the sword Jesus is echoing an earlier prophecy –Dan 11:33. Jesus, by referring Daniel’s prophecy is encouraging his audience to examine what Daniel had to say about the forthcoming destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans.

21:2 Luke, more than any other gospel writer, introduces a “certain [person]”. In fact Luke uses the word more than 50% on the times we find it in the gospel. I don’t think that Luke was inspired to draw attention to individuals that Theophilus knew. Rather the record is teaching that Jesus focussed on different individuals – rather than always focussing on crowds. In this we can be encouraged that Jesus is interested din individuals – you and me.

Luke 21:29

“And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees.”

Trees are figurative of people and nations (Judg 9:8-21; Jer 11:19; Eze 31:3-9). We have the fig tree representing the Nation of Israel and all the trees representing all the other nations (Isa 34:2). Israel is surrounded by enemies near and far, and as Globalism rises, so do her enemies. Could the prophecy of Luke 21:20, fulfilled in 70 AD, be a kind of a parallel prophecy for us? “And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.”

The recent political violence was orchestrated by Hamas to destroy Israel, and for the first time rockets fired from Gaza hit Jerusalem. They delivered a powerful symbolic and psychological message by targeting Jerusalem, the most fiercely contested city. This, essentially, is Hamas staking a claim for that territory. Furthermore, it’s not just about Gaza, as the scope of their war fired missiles also into Ashkelon, Beersheba, and Tel Aviv. This being their fourth war with Israel since 2008, Hamas has this revolutionary logic that the worse the war the better and it will get worse and will increase in frequency and intensity.

The very city in which God placed His name (2Chron 6:6), the city of the great King (Matt 5:35) is increasingly under fire by the trees! But, there will be a time when God will gather all of Israel’s enemies to one place and fight against these nations. Zech 14 prophesied this will occur when Christ returns with his saints (Zech 14:5). What a warning sign Jesus gave his first century disciples and to us, as we witness the fig tree’s enemies surrounding them in tighter and tighter and waging war against them not just for more land, but for all of Jerusalem. They side with President Erdogan of Turkey that Jerusalem does not belong to Israel (cf. notes on Zech 12:3)!

It is futile trying to make sense of a world that rarely makes any sense. The overall picture of the world presently is coming into focus and what it boils down to is the never-ending battle between the forces of good and evil, as certain rulers from certain nations attempt to rule and have dominion over all of mankind on a planet that belongs to God, which, in the end, will be ruled by Him!

During the darkest time in Israel’s history, Elijah, under the wicked leadership of Ahab and Jezebel, became very depressed. He felt alone and felt scared, but God in a still small voice set the record straight. Elijah was not alone; he didn’t need to be afraid. God was with him all the time (1Kin 19:11,12). God tells us that no matter the problems we face, He is right there beside us; He is in control. We just need to listen carefully. “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths” (Prov 3:5,6). Whenever I get an, “Elijah moment,” this is the verse I repeat over and over.

We are very, very close to the advent of Christ (cf. Luke 21:25-28). May we take heed to his admonition in taking heed to ourselves (Luke 21:34-36). And how do we do that? By living each day as if today is the day Christ will return; by not being deceived by the world’s propaganda, but be discerning; by encouraging one another and not losing hope, keeping on reading, studying, and walking in the Word, just as Jesus left us to do.

Luke 21:7-36

“And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass? ....

God’s prophetic clock's final countdown is centered on the rebirth of Israel, which began on May 14, 1948. While it appears that the nation arose out of nowhere, the fact is there was a steady and gradual build-up to it, as a result of the First Zionist Congress held in 1897.

In Matt 24:32-34 we read the parable about the fig tree, Israel, that was barren (cf. Matt 21:19,20; Luke 13:6-9). Israel was all leaves, but produced no fruit. Israel was cursed and cut down in 70 A.D. However, as prophesied (Eze 37; 38), Israel was re-planted in its own land and Israel became a nation again in 1948. Since then, Israel put forth leaves politically, economically, militarily, financially, and became a force to be reckoned with, but again, no fruit.

Now, Jesus plainly tells us that the generation that sees the rebirth of Israel will not pass away, that he will come before this generation dies off (Luke 21:29-32). This begs the question, how long is a generation? Well, we know from Scripture the days from Adam on, humanity’s generational life time shortened. Adam lived 930 years; Jacob 147 years, and Moses was 110 years, etc. In Psa 90:10, we read that 70 years is appointed to us and if by reason of our strength we live to 80 years we will soon, thereafter, be cut off and taken away. So, while there are those who live past 80, the figures for a generation are now given as being between 70 and 80 years, and I use this as the standard.

On May 14, 2018, Israel became 70 years old and in May 14, 2028, she will be 80 years as a nation. What does this all mean? Israel being God’s prophetic time clock, in my estimation, means that sometime during the interim of these ten years, the time of trouble such as never was will arise. It means that the time of Jacob’s (Judah and Israel’s) trouble (Jer 30:7) will continue to escalate so much so, that if Christ did not return, no one would be saved (Matt 24:21,22). We are living in a time unparalleled in history since the beginning of Creation, as prophesied before Christ’s return.

We see the “sword,” coming upon all the nations (all the trees); we see tribulation’s shadow casting itself right now, the nations are angry, yet, what we see now and going through is nothing as to what is still to come! The present events are leading to more intensification and convergence globally like never before; the more intense, the more in frequency, the closer we are to the “birth.”

We know we are in the season of the Lord’s return, and if we are watching; we know just how close we really are to the “birth.” That day will not catch us off guard (1Thess 5:4-10). Rev 18:23 is so relevant for us in our day wherein we read how the merchants were great [and rich] men, who by their sorceries deceived all the nations. According to Strong’s, the use of sorceries for pharmacy,  pharmakeia # 5331, is very telling! W.E. Vine in An Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words, adds: “poisoning!” While some medications are helpful, there are others that are not.

Furthermore, are we not living in the time Isaiah prophesied in Isa 5:20 that “evil is good,” and “good is evil?” The wicked are justified and rewarded for harming those that oppose them, and this has become a global, not an isolated, phenomenon! Nations have drunk Babylon’s wine (Isa 5:22; Rev 18:3)!

As Christ’s ambassadors (2Cor 5:20), we have a responsibility to warn, help, and prepare one another to be “ready” during the final moments that are left for us before Christ’s return. Eze 33:6,7 has application for us too.

21:5 the “some” are – Mark 13:3 – Peter, James, John and Andrew.

21:2  When we read of a “poor widow” our minds go to the instructions given to Israel in Deuteronomy 26:12 to quote just one example of how the fatherless and widows should be cared for. The fact that she was “poor” indicates that the religious leaders were not fulfilling their responsibilities that God had given them.

21:12  As unlikely the daunting prospect of being brought before “kings” might have seemed to the disciples it did happen to at least one of Jesus’ followers – Acts 26:2

Luke 21:1 We are grateful to the Jewish historian Edersheim and his book on the Temple for a useful background to this  seemingly minor incident in the Master’s ministry.

It appears there were 13 labelled brass ‘trumpets’ that were set into and ran through one wall of the Temple treasury. These trumpets narrowed down as they went through the wall and emptied into 13 chests. Imagine the horn from an old, wind-up gramophone passing through a wall and you get the picture. These ‘trumpets’ were used for the ‘giving of alms’ (see Matt 6:1) and a giver would then choose to put or throw their money offerings into one or more of these trumpets which were labelled with various particular ‘funds’ or ‘good causes’.

As all Jewish money was in coinage in those days, the Scribes & Pharisees used to change their ‘alms money’ into the lowest coinage value possible and then empty that large amount of coins into the brass trumpet of their choice which used to make a very loud noise as the many coins clattered down the trumpet and into the chest, causing every head to turn at the sound; with those around the giver thinking to themselves, “look at him, he’s giving such a lot: he must be a good person.”

Then along came the widow and threw in her two mites (around 1/5^th of a British penny in total) which were so small they barely made any sound at all as they slid down the trumpet into the chest. Yet our Master who, like his Heavenly Father, does not judge according to our values, praised the widow above all those tipping in vast amounts of coins because she had put in all she had.

The lesson for us from this incident is that when we help others or perform ‘righteousnesses’ (which is what the word ‘alms’ is better translated as) are we like the Scribes & Pharisees who created a great show in ALL their acts for the sole purpose of “to be seen of men” (Matt 23:5) or do we do what our Master tells us to do in Matt 6:3 “Let not your left hand know what your right hand is doing?”

Which raises the question: are we any different from the Scribes & Pharisees? As we have the same sinful nature they had, the answer is most likely no.

The acid test is that when we next perform an ‘alms,’ help someone or perform a notable work in the Master’s service, is to watch ourselves and see if we find ourselves just bursting to tell someone all about what we’ve done - even if it's our husband, wife or friend in the Faith. If we do, (and I’m VERY guilty here) then just as the Scribes & Pharisees did, we are seeking the (fickle) praise of men rather than the true and ‘unspeakable’ gift (2Cor 9:15) that our Father is waiting to give us i.e. the same nature and power He has and to live in a perfect world with Him and His son FOR EVER.

Our Heavenly Father does not want us to literally give all we have at the expense of the welfare of our families, whether financially or otherwise: we know He loves a CHEERFUL giver (2Cor 9:7) who willingly gives what they can when they can.

But neither does our Heavenly Father want us to make a great ‘song and dance’ about what we do or give in His son’s name.

Luke 21:19

“In your patience possess ye your souls.”

“IT is possible to ‘lose self’ for Christ’s sake, and by that very means to gain it. On the other hand, a man may gain great possessions and ‘forfeit himself’ (Luke 9:25, Moffatt). For encouragement in the trials which would come upon his friends in the days ahead Jesus promised that ‘in your patience ye shall win your souls’. Similarly, in Luke 17:33, the one who shrank back for fear of losing his life, was actually losing himself. At the judgment seat of Christ many will be consigned to the second death because they have avoided suffering and in some cases death in an unwillingness to share the sufferings of Christ. But those of faith who for Christ’s sake have lost their lives will gain life, and self, forevermore.”

John Carter, The Letter to the Hebrews, p. 202

21:3 Of course, viewed from a human perspective, the widow had not cast in more than anyone else. However the point Jesus is making is that she made a sacrifice. It is not how much we give to God it is the degree to which we are willing to give. Of course this does not specifically relate to money. Most of us will give money more willingly than we will give our time for the service of our Father.