The main confession of Peter in the center of the synoptics is to ground the church. He always was going to start the mission to the nations, because that is really what Gen 12 is about when read by Paul in Gal 3:8.
The 'coming to jesus' of certain people does not matter as much as what was said. Jn 4 pretty much ends your Israel only theory. "The hour is coming AND NOW IS..." in there twice, etc.
You have a slight point about the first half of Mt24 and its parallels, because it has to be about Israel's fate in the 1st century; no way to make that section about others. But you are mistaken to apply it to distant future from him. It was to happen in that generation, as biologically determined by when the nursing babes of Lk 23 would be adults.
I have done an exegesis about the whole chapter of Matthew 24. I can just post it, this will be easier. This was me an another guy having a go on his very subject some time back.
The context is clear but do you miss the THREE QUESTIONS ?
Matthew 24:1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto 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 unto him privately, saying,
Tell us, when shall these things be? and
what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
The first question was about what Jesus had just said, the Temple being DESTROYED !!
(When shall these things be?) The second question was what will be
THE SIGN of your Coming......And the Third question was and what will be the
SIGN (because they used AND) of the END OF THE WORLD. So they wanted to know about the Temples Destruction, and the SIGN of Jesus' coming and the SIGN of the End of the World.
You see, you only mentioned the END OF THE WORLD, I see much more, I see three questions being asked, and two are about SIGNS of Coming and the End of the World. Now think about this, if Jesus is going to give them a sign, wouldn't he walk them through the whole 2000 year period? I think he would, and clearly does. Mind you, I am the guy that says Revelation 19 happens at the same time as Rev. chapters 5-16, and Rev. 17 happens during Rev. 6 and 7 and Rev. 18 happens over the course of all the Seals, Trumpets and Vials, but ends in Rev. 16. LOL, so you saying that I think that just because something is WRITTEN FIRST.... Well, you get my point.
Lets go through a few of the verses to see why I believe as I do.
Matthew 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
{ Jesus here is warning the Disciples not to be deceived, it is well known that the Rabbis/Pharisees in order to put down the "Jesus movement" and because they thought the Roman occupation was the END TIMES and that the Messiah would come to save them, put forth various Messiahs just before the Temple destruction. and Jerusalem being conquered by force after the rebellion. Jesus is telling his Disciples not to fall for the lies, many will come in my name, saying I am THE MESSIAH, not Jesus. And many will be deceived. }
Matthew 24:6 And ye shall hear of
wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass,
but the end 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.
{ Jesus here is informing his Disciples that they will hear of Wars and Rumors of wars, no doubt Jesus knew many of the Disciples would venture afar, thus they would not see this destruction of the Temple, some would, but many would just HEAR OF IT, but Jesus tells them, THIS IS NOT THE END !! Meaning that even though he Pharisees and Rabbis were looking for the Messiah to SAVE THEM, this was not the time of Jesus' return, thus he says, the
END IS NOT YET !! Then Jesus seems to shift past the lives of the Disciples and into a futuristic, 2000 year period of time, when he speaks about Nations against Nations, Kingdoms against Kingdoms, Famines, Pestilences and Earthquakes, and he says these are the Beginnings of Sorrows !! The Greek word used for sorrows implies BIRTH PANGS, and this is Jesus telling the Disciples that all of these things MUST HAPPEN FIRST, and that will be the
SIGN (BIRTH PANG) that the end is Near.
Then just as you stated, all scriptures coming later on, do not have to mean Jesus/others are inferring that they are always at a latter date, you have to understand the context. The next few verses, travel over this same 2000 year time period as verse 6 through 8, they had a different way of writing back then. It is what it is. Just Like we get Genesis told to us twice. One was the Creation of all things, chapter two was the Creation of Man. So the next few verses are first speaking about Jesus' Disciples.}
Matthew 24:9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
{ I think this is mainly Jesus telling his Disciples their coming fate. Many people would betray them, and most all of the Disciples would become Martyrs, save John and a couple of others, maybe. They don't kill you if they don't hate you.....after all right ? And no doubt, many betrayed them, like Judas betrayed Jesus. }
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
{ I think this is another 2000 year period, Jesus throws this in to let everyone know, there will be many FALSE PROPHETS (Jonestown, and many other cults like it have risen over the 2000 year Period since Jesus' death) and because of SIN
(at the END TIMES right about the time of the Birth Pangs above) the love of MANY shall wax COLD.....Abortion, Murder at a crazy rate, for no reason in many cases,
people BUMPED ME MAN (LOL) Really. Homosexuality being pushed as NORMAL. People do not understand what TRUE LOVE IS it seems. BUT...........Jesus says, out of all of these things I have described unto you all, (from verse 4 to 13) he that endures all things that might come upon him, he that KEEPS THE FAITH until the END
(of his life) the same shall be SAVED. In other words if we turn from God/Jesus and return unto the world, we will be CAST OUT OF JESUS' Mouth, as Lukewarm. We must overcome Satan by the Blood of the Lamb, we can not turn back to living a sinful life, we must endure all of our temptations. It doesn't mean we will not SIN..........It just means we can not turn back unto a sinful lifestyle. WE MUST ENDURE IN CHRIST until the end. }
All this is why I believe as I do, I think its fairly clear that Jesus is explaining a multifaceted, three part question unto his disciples. This first part is about the Temple being destroyed and the 2000 year period until the End Time comes upon us. So this is the WHEN SHALL THESE THINGS BE part,(Question number 1.) since Jesus told them about the coming Temples Destruction. Then Jesus gave them the SIGNS (Birth Pangs) of what things would look like just before HIS COMING !!! I might as well finish this tonight.
Matthew 24:14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, {whoso readeth, let him understand} 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
{ Verse 14 kind of belongs with verses 4-13, but it can also go on this side of the 2000 year divide. It straddles the gap so to speak. The Gospel must be preached unto all the World, then the END WILL COME !! This is real clear, once the Church has preached the Gospel unto all the world, FOR A WITNESS UNTO JESUS' SAVING GRACE, then, and only then can the End Times come upon us. Jesus then goes on to tell us/disciples about this END TIME PERIOD. He warns the Jewish Nation that when they see the Abomination of Desolation, spoken of by Daniel the Prophet, they should FLEE Jerusalem.
THIS IS AN END TIME EVENT.........There is no doubt about that at all.
Now Jesus must go further and tell them about the other two questions, when will the SIGN OF THY COMING BE and when will the END BE. }
Matthew 24:21
For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22
And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. 23 Then if any man shall say unto you,
Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24 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. 25 Behold, I have told you before. 26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you,
Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. 27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
{ Jesus is telling his Disciples, and thus the END TIME JEWISH PEOPLES, what to look for, he is telling them, HEY !! When you flee from Judea, and I protect you in that safe place (1260 days) DO NOT FALL for the Anti-Christ and False Prophets TRICKS, they will try and deceive you, to make you think that I (Jesus, they have accepted Jesus as their Messiah by this time, OR God wouldn't be protecting them in the Wilderness, Malachi 4:5-6 tells us this) have come and am in the Desert or in a Secret Chamber.........
DO NOT GO TO THIS FALSE MESSIAH !! no doubt Jesus is implying that this Fake Messiah and False Prophet will kill you if you go to them. Jesus then tells them where to look for him when he RETURNS. I will be coming in the EASTERN SKIES......Amen. Jesus says if it were possible they will deceive the very ELECT (Jews who have become Christians or received their Messiah as Jesus)
but it is NOT POSSIBLE, for I HAVE TOLD YOU !!! BOOM....... Next Jesus finally tells them about his Second Coming. }
Matthew 24:29
Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
{ So, Jesus tells the Jewish peoples the SIGNS of his Coming and WHEN THE END SHALL BE. This is the End of the Age. No Doubt. IMMEDIATELY AFTER the Tribulation of those days (Troubles/Jacobs Trouble), these SIGNS will be in the Sky and then you will see me coming in the Clouds from the East, and all the Tribes and Nations will see the Glory of My Coming. And the Angels will gather THE ELECT from the Four Corners of Heaven, [where the Church has been for SEVEN YEARS, marrying the Lamb] and we will Return on White Horses with Jesus Christ just as Rev. 19 says.}
Now Jesus has covered most all of the bases on the Jewish Nation, because 95 percent of them will not Receive the Lord Jesus Christ before the RAPTURE that Paul has spoken about in 1 Corinthians 15 and in other places. So now Jesus must cover the rest of the Jewish Peoples about the THREE QUESTIONS the Disciples asked him, after all, they were "Christians" and even if ONLY 5 PERCENT of the Jewish peoples are Messianic Jews/Christians when Jesus comes back to Rapture the Church, they still need to KNOW THEIR PLIGHT ALSO !! Right ?
So Matthew 32-44 tells about the coming Rapture of the Church, but I will only post verses 38-42, for it emphasizes everything that needs to be said, Jesus tells the Messianic Jews about their destiny, BELOW:
Matthew 24:38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
{ This of course happens right before the TRIBULATION, or Jacobs Troubles. If they were in the TRIBULATION PERIOD, would they be DRINKING, MARRYING and having a gay ole time ? NO, HECK NO, that makes no sense, the Jewish Nation would be in hiding in the WILDERNESS, and the wicked men of earth would be trying to DODGE THE PLAGUES of Gods Wrath, there will be NO ONE who will be having fun just before Jesus' SECOND COMING !!!
Jesus then illustrates what can only be the Rapture, it CAN NOT be the Second Coming. He says TWO will be in the field and ONE will be taken and the OTHER WILL BE LEFT [Behind]. The same thing is spoken about with the women grinding at the mill, ONE will be taken and ONE LEFT BEHIND.
Then he says WATCH for you know not what hour when your Lord comes. Just like the Bride knew not what HOUR THE BRIDEGROOM CAME !! Aren't you starting to see the BIG PICTURE HERE ? We know when Jesus' Second Coming will be.
Exactly 42 Months after the Anti-Christ commits the Abomination of Desolation, AND...we will all see him splitting (NOT ME I WILL BE WITH HIM, but I guess I will see it, just from a different perspective) the Eastern Skies, no one will be left behind, believe me, the Wicked will be DESTROYED, not left behind. }
So, as you can see, Jesus answers all three questions his Disciples asked him about. I don't just reply with a "BELIEF" , if something is my belief, I will say, this is my logical understanding. When God finally shows me or reveals His deep truths to me via the Holy Spirit, I know, that I know, that I know, that I know. BEFORE THAT, I never say, this is a fact.......If it is not from the Holy Spirit, it is just a mans opinion. The Holy Spirit leads us unto the truth, if we seek the truth. I know many brilliant men, MANY FRIENDS, who just can't seem to get knowledge from God, it seems they let their own ideas get in their way, some ask me, how does God show you these things Ron, and I tell them the truth, you have to be willing to be wrong before God can reveal His truths. Too many people have ideas that they can't seem to let go of, its called pride. We should all stop and think. I have heard 500 ideas about Revelation chapter 17. WHAT IS WRONG THERE? No unction of the Holy Spirit. Too many people have to be having THEIR OWN IDEAS !! That does't work. Only the Holy Spirit can lead us unto the Truths of God.
God Bless
16 Then let them which be in