by Brett Jacobsen

 

The focus of this teaching is to promote the biblical truth that Christ’s Kingdom is active and increasing right now on this earth, in this age. Erroneous eschatology has detracted from this truth in many circles of the Christian faith.

All of the major eschatological (study of how things end) passages are covered but the end of the world is not the important issue and true eschatology is merely a means to an end- Christ Himself as King of kings. Though we will look at the glorious end of earthly history from time to time, we will more so continually use the scriptures to interpret the scriptures and arrive at the present victorious Kingdom of Christ.

For most Christians this teaching will challenge you deeply in your understanding of the New Covenant and Christ’s Kingdom as well as liberate you greatly in the truth of His Word.

The Olivet Discourse- The Great Tribulation Part 1

 

Below are the scriptures that are in this teaching so you can read along:

*The context of the communication

 

Behold, your house is left unto you desolate. (Matt 23:38)

And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to show him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said to them, See you not all these things? truly I say to you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. 3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of your coming [parousia- a being near, presence], and of the end [sunteleia- entire completion] of the world [aion]? 4 And Jesus answered and said to them… (Matt 24:1-4a)

 

And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here! 2 And Jesus answering said to him, See you these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. 3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives over against the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked him privately, 4 Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled [sunteleo- to complete entirely]? 5 And Jesus answering them began to say… (Mark 13:1-5a)

 

And as some spoke of the temple, how it was adorned with goodly stones and gifts, he said, 6 As for these things which you behold, the days will come, in the which there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. 7 And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come [ginomai- be done, be ended, happen] to pass? 8 And he said… (Luke 21:5-8a)

 

John’s gospel doesn’t contain this discourse because he penned Revelation which explains and expounds the very same event and covenant process.

 

 

*The beginning of sorrows

 

And Jesus answered and said to them, Take heed that no man deceive YOU. 5 For many shall come in my name [1], saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6 And you shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that you be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end [telos- uttermost] is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. (Matt 24:4-8)

 

And Jesus answering them began to say, Take heed lest any man deceive YOU: 6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 7 And when you shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, be you not troubled: for such things must needs be; but the end shall not be yet. 8 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be earthquakes in divers places, and there shall be famines and troubles: these are the beginnings of sorrows. (Mark 13:5-8)

 

And he said, Take heed that YOU be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draws near: go you not therefore after them. 9 But when you shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. 10 Then said he to them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: 11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. (Luke 21:8-11)

 

[1] Simon Magus Acts 8:9-10 – Jerome quotes Simon Magus as saying “I am the Word of God, I am the Comforter, I am Almighty, I am all there is of God” (Mansel, The Gnostic Heresies p. 82) (An E of V by Kik)

 

 

*Persecution of the saints

 

Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and you shall be hated of all nations [ethnos] for my name’s sake. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. (Matt 24:9-10)

 

But take heed to yourselves: for they shall deliver you up to councils; and in the synagogues you shall be beaten: and you shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimony against them. (Mark 13:9)

But when they shall lead you, and deliver you up, take no thought beforehand what you shall speak, neither do you premeditate: but whatsoever shall be given you in that hour, that speak you: for it is not you that speak, but the Holy Ghost. 12 Now the brother shall betray the brother to death, and the father the son; and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall cause them to be put to death. 13 And you shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake: but he that shall endure to the end, the same shall be saved. (Mark 13:11-13)

 

But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake. 13 And it shall turn to you for a testimony. 14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what you shall answer: 15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. 16 And you shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. 17 And you shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. 18 But there shall not an hair of your head perish. 19 In your patience possess you your souls. (Luke 21:12-19)

 

 

-Church Historian Suggests James’ Death the “Final Straw”

Hegesippus- concerning the martyrdom of James, the brother of the Lord. from Book 5.

James, the Lord’s brother […] They came, therefore, in a body to James, and said: “We entreat thee, restrain the people: for they are gone astray in their opinions about Jesus, as if he were the Christ. […] Take thy stand, then, upon the summit of the temple, that from that elevated spot thou mayest be clearly seen, and thy words may be plainly audible to all the people. For, in order to attend the passover, all the tribes have congregated hither, and some of the Gentiles also.”

The aforesaid scribes and Pharisees accordingly set James on the summit of the temple, and cried aloud to him, and said: “O just one, whom we are all bound to obey, forasmuch as the people is in error, and follows Jesus the crucified, do thou tell us what is the door of Jesus, the crucified.” And he answered with a loud voice: “Why ask ye me concerning Jesus the Son of man? He Himself sitteth in heaven, at the right hand of the Great Power, and shall come on the clouds of heaven.”

And, when many were fully convinced by these words, and offered praise for the testimony of James, and said, “Hosanna to the son of David,” then again the said Pharisees and scribes said to one another, “We have not done well in procuring this testimony to Jesus. But let us go up and throw him down, that they may be afraid, and not believe him.” And they cried aloud, and said: “Oh! oh! the just man himself is in error.” Thus they fulfilled the Scripture written in Isaiah: “Let us away with the just man, because he is troublesome to us: therefore shall they eat the fruit of their doings.” So they went up and threw down the just man, and said to one another: “Let us stone James the Just.” And they began to stone him: for he was not killed by the fall; but he turned, and kneeled down, and said: “I beseech Thee, Lord God our Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

And, while they were thus stoning him to death, one of the priests, the sons of Rechab, the son of Rechabim, to whom testimony is borne by Jeremiah the prophet, began to cry aloud, saying: “Cease, what do ye? The just man is praying for us.” But one among them, one of the fullers, took the staff with which he was accustomed to wring out the garments he dyed, and hurled it at the head of the just man.

And so he suffered martyrdom; and they buried him on the spot, and the pillar erected to his memory still remains, close by the temple. This man was a true witness to both Jews and Greeks that Jesus is the Christ.

And shortly after Vespasian besieged Judea, taking them captive.

 

*Peter crucified upside down by Nero in 64A.D.

*Paul beheaded in the same season

 

 

*False prophets

 

And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. (Matt 24:11-12)

 

Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world. (1 John 4:1)

 

* “There was also another body of wicked men gotten together, not so impure in their actions, but more wicked in their intentions, which laid waste the happy state of the city no less than did these murderers. These were such men as deceived and deluded the people under pretence of Divine inspiration, but were for procuring innovations and changes of the government; and these prevailed with the multitude to act like madmen, and went before them into the wilderness, as pretending that God would there show them the signals of liberty.” The Wars of the Jews Josephus ii:xiii:4

 

“But there was an Egyptian false prophet that did the Jews more mischief than the former; for he was a cheat, and pretended to be a prophet also, and got together thirty thousand men that were deluded by him” The Wars of the Jews Josephus ii:xiii:5

 

 

*Gospel in all the world, then the end

 

But he that shall endure to the end [telos- uttermost], the same shall be saved. 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world [oikoumene- land, spec. the Roman Empire] for a witness to all nations; and then shall the end [telos- uttermost] come. (Matt 24:13-14)

 

And the gospel must first be published among all nations. (Mark 13:10)

 

Fulfilled-

…you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel; 6 Which is come to you, as it is in all the world [kosmos]; (Col 1:5-6)

 

…be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which you have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; (Col 1:23)

 

…that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole [holos] world [kosmos]. (Rom 1:8)

 

So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. 18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes truly, their sound went into all the earth [ge], and their words to the ends [peras- extremity] of the world [oikoumene- land, spec. the Roman Empire]. (Rom 10:17-18)

 

And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. (Acts 2:5)

 

These that have turned the world [oikoumene- the Empire] upside down… (Acts 17:6)

 

 

-Eusebius speaking of Tertullian’s account that Emperor Tiberius (14-37AD) “favoured the doctrine” (of Christ) and “threatened to execute any who accused the Christians” said:

 

“Heavenly providence had purposefully put this in the Emperor’s mind, in order that the gospel message should get off to a good start and speed to every part of the world.”

 

“Thus with the powerful cooperation of heaven the whole world was suddenly lit by the sunshine of the saving word. At once, in accordance with the holy scriptures, the voice of its inspired evangelists and apostles went forth into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.” (Eusebius– The History of the Church p 76)

 

Duplication and embedding of these videos is permitted as long as they are complete and a link to www.christisall.org is included.

Thank you.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 8th, 2009 at 12:15 pm and is filed under Audio/Video, Brett Jacobsen's teaching, Christ's Kingdom, Eschatology (How it ends), Living Christianity, Reformation/ Revival. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.