₦airaland Forum

Tamarapetty:
Oga, goan watch the video very well and understand what he meant. Yes he's rich, so what?? Can u work for God and still be poor??

King Solomon was the richest king in his days and he never boasted about it. He should have just kept quiet. We all know he is rich.

Hell is real. God doesn't send anyone to hell. It is your decision that sends you there. Embrace the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ today and save yourself from the burning hell.

Matthew 13:47-50.

47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:

48 Which, when it was full, they drew to shore, and sat down, and gathered the good into vessels, but cast the bad away.

49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just,

50 And shall CAST THEM INTO THE FURNACE OF FIRE: there shall be WAILING and GNASHING of TEETH.

If you don't believe, then you don't believe in Jesus. If you believe in Jesus and you still argue there is no hell, then you are invariably saying that Jesus lied. Otherwise, how else can we interpret this passage? .

AccessME:
Aisha doesn't even trust the Man in Aso Rock to be the man she got married to.

She may be in the dark but she's seriously in suspect that the man in Aso Rock is not Buhari.

The Better we Nigerians open our eyes to "see" and ears to "hear"the truth she's indirectly trying to reveal, the better for us all.

She knows. Even if you marry an identical twin, you will still know your husband. What happened is a deal that no one should speak out. Who knows if they were all given shut up money that could not be refused. She is indirectly revealing the facts in parables. He who has ear, let him hear.

Anas09:
What the heck? The forces of darkness held Jesus captive even for a second? What did i Just read? How then did He fight and won the victory that ransomed us?

Bros, which Bible do you read?

But it was the same forces of darkness that stirred up those who openly spat on him and scourged him. He was still Jesus when he was humiliated before the eyes of everyone. What makes you think that such humiliation couldn't have taken place in hell? Jesus is the son of man. He represented us. So, he was held captive as a man representing the entire human race. He had to suffer what you and I was supposed to suffer.

Our level of education is really very low and Reno of all people disappointed me on this. He is diverting attention from the real issue. The real issue is that is he dead and is Jibril from Sudan acting as an impostor? People claim he has been made to look like him through surgical operations. The question should be, if you believe the present Buhari is Jibril acting as an impostor, tweet like. Otherwise #BuhariisnotJibril.

brodalokie:
That he received a new spirit. My point is that it was the same previous spirit that came to revive him

Perhaps the choice of words matters. Let's put it this way. His spirit was restored or revived. It was done through the power of the Holy Spirit. His spirit became dead on account of our sins but was restored back to life when God raised him from the dead.

Anas09:
What the heck? The forces of darkness held Jesus captive even for a second? What did i Just read? How then did He fight and won the victory that ransomed us?

Bros, which Bible do you read?

They did because he became sin for us and at the moment the father forsook him, he became subject to Satan. But when the court in heaven sat and verdict was given in favour of man who was represented by Jesus, darkness couldn't hold him captive any more.
He disarmed them and made a public spectacle of them.

Why didn't you ask how come Jesus was treated like a criminal on earth before his crucifixion. They spat on his face. They put a crown of thorns on his head. He was scourged with the most dangerous whip. Why do you think the humiliation he received on earth couldn't be repeated in the spirit realms of darkness?

He did all that for me and you so we don't need to suffer any more.

brodalokie:
Your spirit gives you consciousness which includes memories so if he could remember all the events before it means it was the same spirit. Jesus received the spirit of God in fullness but we have it in measure. It is the same spirit that revive the almost rotten flesh. From then on he has not aged because the flesh was transfigured to what it was before he became human. If you know about the logos then you will understand what I am talking here. He is both the firstborn of creation and the first begotten from the death in one person. The way he woke up from the dead was the way he looked like in heaven before he took on a flesh. In the throne of heaven, there is only one seat and the person there has the image or likeness of a Man according to Ezekiel 1, that person is Jesus at 33 years old. He is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Not two people.

God in His true nature has no form or shape and can't be measured, but to become God he needs to create and to do this He needs to have a form. The first thing he created was Himself, which we call the logos or in other words the Son. After the angels and then Man, who is a clone of himself on Earth. Then Man corrupt the blood with animal blood in Eden, to reverse the program He must use his own blood, which he did at Calvary. He returns to the throne the same way He has always looked like. Then his blood breeds other extensions in pure form. What a mystery. Isn't this sweet?

What is the bone of contention here?

lexy2014:
Any one can profess 2b a Christian. I thought u were going 2say "practicing christian". But what exactly is d purpose of tithing?

Anyone can also claim to be a practicing Christian under the guise of religion. So it's the same thing. To be precise, I am addressing those who are born again and spirit filled.

Tithe is God's own way of sustaining those who work in his vineyard.

It also acts as a reservoir to support the widows, the fatherless and the orphans.

brodalokie:
You know that Jesus wasn't born the usual way. The spirit in Jesus is the fullness of the Holy Spirit himself. One verse said she was found with the Child of the Holy Spirit, another said that the Holy Spirit entered into her womb and started growing into a baby. Jesus claimed that God was His father and that God is a Spirit. This means that God is the Holy Spirit himself and it was that spirit in it's fullness (not in measure) was using Jesus all the while. But before the crucifixion He withdraw himself. And then came back to revive the body. The Holy Spirit can not reject Himself.

Example. God the Father make Adam, God the Son to be perfect like Himself. Then He initiated a fall and redemption plan. He couldn't curse Adam because if He did, He would be cursing Himself, so instead, He said, curse is the ground for your sake. Remember, the ground is his flesh but the spirit that makes him a living soul is God.

You are very correct. In addition, he was fully man for the purpose of redemption. He took our place on the cross. For that moment, he became sin for us. He had to suffer the full punishment which included going to hell. The father forsook him for the first time. Hence he cried, My father my father, why have you forsaken me? His spirit being dead does not mean he ceased from existing but that he was cut off from God. On the resurrection morning, the spirit received a new life. Jesus became born again. He was the first to be born again. Hence the Scripture foreseeing what will happen said, "You are my son, this day I have begotten you'. Now, Jesus is referred to as the first begotten from the dead. He is no longer the only begotten son of God.

brodalokie:
You must have taken the teaching too far. What really happened is that the spirit left him and went back to God or source and return after 3 days. Spirit can't die. It comes from the source that can't die. And so we can be cleared, Jesus is rising and it was the same body that was pierced through and nailed, also it was the same spirit that had been in him, the same memories, but the feeling of an overcomer. I am going to my father and your father to open all the doors of goodness and mercies...

He couldn't have gone back to the Father who rejected him on account of our sins. Yes spirits don't die in a sense but it dies in another sense. You have a dead spirit when you have the nature of the devil which is sin. Our sins were laid on Jesus and for that moment, he was cut off from God. He went to hell to be held temporarily captive by the host of darkness. But when divine judgment was given in favour of man. The price is paid. The demand of the justice is met. The kingdom of darkness couldn't hold him down anymore. He defeated Satan and took from him the keys of hell and death. He rose again with a new life, a new spirit. His spiritually dead spirit was made alive.

Officialpdpnig:
This is why he is different from the rest.

He refuses to touch a penny of the nations money. He refused then in 1984 and still refuses to do so today.

This man just received a whole new level of admiration from me.

God bless my President

Big fat lies. You can't be a man of integrity and surrounded by thieves and certificate forgers. You can't be a man of integrity and nothing to show for all the monies borrowed. You can't be a man of integrity and recovered loots are unaccounted for. You can't be a man of integrity and killer herdsmen are not prosecuted. You can't be a man of integrity and you don't have a genuine certificate. You can't be a man of integrity and you use the nation's money to treat an undisclosed ailment. You can't be a man of integrity and you can't address a nation on allegations that it's not you but a double. You can't be a man of integrity when you purchase fighter jets without the approval of the Senate. Mr integrity indeed.

At least she can fry akara to support her husband unlike other olosho that can't even bake garri.

brodalokie:
Wait, I think I know you. You are talking like someone named, junker. The spirit in Jesus was the spirit of God and there for can't die. The Bible said, the same spirit that quickened Jesus shall quicken our mortal bodies. The soul as you said went to hell and then return to quicken the flesh on the 3rd day. I don't know if you can separate the soul from the spirit. One has a form and the other hasn't.

Yes, you can separate the spirit from the soul with the word of God - Hebrews 4:12. Jesus first died spiritually before he died physically. So, he was first made alive in the spirit before he was made alive in the flesh.

Do this experiment yourself. Stop paying tithe for a while and tell the difference from the time you were paying tithe. I am not talking to church goers or unbelievers. I am talking to professing Christians.

brodalokie:
What went into hell was his spirit and he could not have been held up there because he is now in the form of God. He went straight for the dragon's head, and bruised it. And then took His place. Jesus is the head of all principalities... Always have been.

I couldn't agree with that fact that you could torture God. The Bible said the flesh was under subjection to make him play the examplary role of a son. When he said let this cup pass over me, the spirit of God had left him. He was light. It was that same spirit that went to hell and then return to wake up the almost rotten flesh.
Your post make the wipes and torture and nailing was infact His hell.

It was the soul of Jesus that went to hell, not his spirit. His spirit became dead the moment our sins were laid on Jesus. It was on the resurrection morning that he received a brand new spirit. Hence he is referred to as the first begotten from the dead.

SoNature:
No peace for the wicked
Anyone who steals from Nigerians and kept the poorest of the poor in abject poverty, (s)he will know no peace till death.
And his/her children who partook in such loots will end up like their parents.

Even those arresting her are also thieves.

Buterflyle0:
So if Atiku is more Fulani than Buhari this then means Atiku controls and holds more respect among the Fulani herdsmen isn't that right going by the logic of this crooks spokesman.

We can boldly assert that Atiku is behind the Fulani herdsmen crisis since he is more Fulani than Buhari as claimed

And most likely going to protect their interest. That means the herdsmen crises will be far from being over. He also wants to sell our refineries so that the south will have nothing to hold on to.

PhenomenalMorgan:
The way white people auction things at super high prices marvels me, put that letter for auction in Nigeria and see if they will price it up to 200k!!

Nobody will even buy it. Will the letter put money in your pocket. Foolish letter that carries foolish content. The white men don't know what to do with money.

I saw this post and felt I should share it. It's quite revealing.

“For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Because thou wilt not LEAVE MY SOUL IN HELL, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne; He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.” (Acts 2:25-31)

Why did he go to hell? Our sin was laid on Jesus while on the cross. He became the sin bearer. If hell was the destination of sinners, he had to go to complete the punishment that the sinners were supposed to suffer.
While in hell, he was temporarily tormented by demons because he went there as a sin bearer. “Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.” (Romans 4:25)

If we say Jesus went to hell, why then did he promise the thief that he will be with him in paradise that day? Like I mention in the parable of the rich man and Lazarus, paradise also known as Abraham’s bosom was underneath but separated from hell by a valley or gulf. When Jesus died, he went to hell that day but the thief went to Abraham’s bosom.

When Jesus threw off the powers that held him captive, he crossed over to paradise to release the Old Testament Saints that were locked up there.
When the court in heaven sat and delivered judgment in favour of mankind because Jesus met the demand of Justice, the powers of hell could not hold Jesus captive anymore. Jesus defeated the devil and took from him the keys of death and of hell.

“And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.” (Colossians 2:15)

“I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” (Revelation 1:18)

How the Jesus achieve all these if the dead are unconscious like some people teaches? Paul even gave us a vivid picture of how he released the Old Testament Saints;

“Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?” (Ephesians 4:8-9)

The Old Testament Saints were the multitude of captives that Jesus set free and took them captive to heaven. They were the clouds that received Jesus when he ascended to heaven.

“And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. (Acts 1:9)

Also notice what Paul said in Ephesians 1:9; “Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?” He could not have been referring to the shallow grave. Paul says Jesus first descended to the lower parts of the earth. How did he descend? He could not have gone there with his physical body as it was laid in the grave. He went there with his soul.

Hell is real and Jesus went there so you will not need to go there. Instead of arguing about the reality, why not receive him as your Lord and Saviour and save yourself from the coming judgment.

brodalokie:
Hebrew 12:22-23
But ye are come unto Mount Si'on, and unto the city of the Living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels.
To the general assembly and church of the Firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.
=========================
Angel = Messenger

Heaven Angels = Spirit messengers
Earthy Angels = Human messengers (Prophet or Son of Man)

Revelation 22:9
Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and they which keep the saying of this book, worship God.

Revelation 19:10
And I fell down at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, see thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
================

Food for thought
Hebrew 13:14
For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.

The Jews are not going into the rapture. The rapture is all about wedding of Jesus and the gentile Bride that will take place in the air. The 144,000 are reffered to as virgins not defiled with womens or but the gentiles church is a virgin girl

The scriptures I quoted are very clear. It is up to you to believe or doubt.

GavelSlam:
Oyedepo is a fool.

You are an enslaved fool. You and your generation will forever be deceived.

This two pictures are screenshots of Buhari's independent speech in 2016 and 2018. Please, do you think they are the same person. Be honest with your judgment. It is not photoshopped. Google the videos online to download.

TheGreenLand:
The good thing about all these is that, NOW, we know the mad people among us!

Not just mad but wicked and unreasonable.

PeterUdeme:
What 'evidence' are you talking about? mirrored image from nnamdi kanu? Are you this brainless?

Have you asked nnanmdi kanu who was obviously dead and cloned to prove himself? Where was he for over year?

They are not mirrored images. Watch the independence speech of 2016 and 2018. The differences are clear. Or do you want me to post a screen shot from the videos?

You are just fighting to hold on to power to avoid what happened during Yaradua's time. I believe he is dead not because of Kanu statements or posts but on personal observations. His voice is also not the same.

TheGreenLand:
Some Nigerians in the Diaspora have said the reports that President Muhammadu Buhari is an impostor known as Jubrin from Sudan is "mischievous".

In a statement on Sunday, the Nigerians in Diaspora Monitoring Group (NDMG) said those behind the rumour need "psychiatric attention".

A statement by Francis Adeka, on behalf of the group, read: “The claim is being bolstered with a poor rendition and understanding of scientific procedures like cloning, face transplant among others, which proves that those that are carrying this fake news need mental intervention.

“The fake claim would have been considered humorous, but for the fact that it has attained the first position of the most ridiculous and hare-brained in the annals of conspiracy theories. It is a story meant to prey on the gullible by reason of limited mental capacity, whose numbers seem to be increasing on daily basis. Sadly, those peddling the fake news about cloning have even lesser mental capacity than the people they are deceiving.

“The leading organisation on cloning was categorical in stating that gene cloning is the most common type of cloning done by researchers at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). NHGRI researchers have not cloned any mammals and NHGRI does not clone humans."

The group further stated that proponents of the fallacy are using a "1997 Sci-Fi thriller, Face/Off, as prop in their illogical argument saying there has been a face swap between Buhari and Jubrin".

“In the medical world, there has been a handful of partial and full face transplants, but the recipients of the face transplant look nothing like the donors; and of course the new faces come with some level of distortion with the risk of rejection for which the patients take a cocktail of mediation for life,” the statement read.

“Even more childish is the flipping and reversing of photographs of President Buhari to claim that one version is right-handed, while the other is left-handed, which is a photo trick that is achievable with the most basic photo editing software.”

http://saharareporters.com/2018/12/03/those-claiming-buhari-jubril-need-psychiatric-attention-say-nigerians-abroad

Stop deceiving yourself. The evidences are so overwhelming. The truth cannot hide for too long. Just because the north wants to hold on to power, they can go to this length to commit this terrible crime. Even the death certificate does not speak anything. Nigeria is indeed full of deceitful and wicked men. God will expose all those behind this. If he is the one, let him do a nation wide broadcast. Let him submit himself to interrogation by press men. Let us confirm his height. Let him do a DNA test. The allegations are so weighty that it cannot just be swept under the carpet by reigning insults.

TheGreenLand:
When God makes you become so fresh and handsome after your illness that your haters became so confused and mentally deranged suddenly!

He became so young and shorter. What a miracle?

brodalokie:
No brother, the 144,000 Jews will witness His second coming and not the rapture which is the secret coming/marriage party. The Jews are reffered to as His native brethren and not His Bride.
The 144, 000 are the ones who are not a mixed blood of Jewish race. The ones occupying Israel now are mixed blood of mainly German, or European in general and America. These ones are sealed as pure breed and they're not going into the marriage feast.

Revelation 14:1-3.
1 And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.

2 And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps:

3 And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were REDEEMED (RAPTURED) from the earth.

I hope the verses above buttress my point. The word redeemed and rapture is the same in this context. As at this time, Jesus has not returned. They were redeemed so they will not experience the great tribulation which the remaining Jews will go through. Please if you have any contrary view, back it up with Scriptures and not speculations.

khalifjgusau:
Local government workers in Zamfara state are the worst paid in Nigeria as they are still earning N6,000 (less than $20) a month as minimum wage, a far cry from the N18,000 set nationally.

Ibrahim Khaleel, National President Nigeria Union of Local Government Employees (NULGE) made the sensational revelation in Abuja, ahead of the 40th anniversary of the union.

Khaleel said Governor Abdulaziz Yari’s non-compliance with the N18,000 minimum wage, was the real reason he is obstructing the actualisation of the proposed N30,000 minimum wage.

Khaleel, who is also the National Treasurer of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), insisted that the low-earning power of Zamfara residents was responsible for the rising insecurity in the state.

The labour leader noted that as long as the workers were not well paid, there would be no peace in the state.

Khaleel also accused Governor Simon Lalong of Plateau state of not fully compliant with the N18,000 wage. He said council workers in the state only get a fraction of the N18,000.

He regretted that the nation’s local government workers were the most vulnerable in the world.

Khaleel also said the local government system in the country was discriminated against.

According to him, the welfare of workers in the system can only be enhanced if the local government areas are allowed to function well.

On local government autonomy, the union leader said only 12 states had taken their stand on the issue, with nine of them supporting autonomy for the local government and three others voting against it.

http://thelagostimes.com.ng/zamfara-workers-worst-paid-in-nigeria-minimum-wage-n6000/

I just knew it would be one of the of the northern states.

Hu

brodalokie:
The 144, 000 are not candidate for rapture. They are the sealed Jews of pure blood that will accept or recognize Jesus on His second coming in the flesh. The rapture is only for the gentile church aka the spirit Jews or church and it is a it is a secret coming. The five wise virgins go into rapture and the other five that were foolish will experience the great tribulation and the Mark of the beast script which preceeds the second coming. By then, the gospel of the kingdom has returned to the Jews by the two prophets Moses and Elijah

This is what Jesus meant when he said for as the sun or lighten rises from the East and settles in the West so shall the coming of the son of man.

The Gospel began in Jerusalem or at Antioch at Penticost in the beginning of the new testerment and is settling following the Penticostal revival in America. Antioch is in the East coast while America is in the West coast. Like the sun rise and sets and reborn in the East, also the two prophets will mark the rebirth of the gospel light in Jerusalem

They are candidates for rapture. They were sealed in Revelation chapter 7 and they were raptured as indicated by their presence in heaven in Revelation chapter 14. Please read thoroughly. Just as the Church has rapture saints, the Jews also have raptured Jews. The church had their tribulation period, the Jews also had their tribulation period which is worst than that of the church.

jiggaz:
A Bible Study by Jack Kelley

Lately I’ve been receiving questions again about various rapture positions. Several of these questions have to do with the claim that in the Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24-25 ) Jesus in effect said the Church will have to endure all of the seven years of Daniel’s 70 Week including the Great Tribulation. In this study I will attempt to show why He could not have done so.

This won’t be a verse by verse study of the Olivet Discourse, but rather a look at the verses within the passage that people use to support something other than a pre-trib view. If you want a verse by verse study you can go to my four part series entitled “The End times According To Jesus.”
It’s important to begin any study of this nature with a review of the overall context of the Olivet Discourse because it’s the most important factor in understanding what Jesus was really saying and to whom He was saying it. It will also help us see what was going on in the disciples’ minds.

It was just a couple of days before the crucifixion. Jesus and His disciples were walking over the Mt. of Olives toward Bethany where they were staying at the home of Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. The sun was getting low in the late afternoon sky, casting a soft golden light on the white Temple and its surrounding buildings. It was such a beautiful sight the disciples called it to the Lord’s attention.
In reply, Jesus said, “Do you see all these things? I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” (Matt. 24:2 ).

It was the second time they had heard Jesus say this. The first time was a couple of days earlier on what we now call Palm Sunday when He had told the people that because they didn’t recognize the time of His coming, the city would be destroyed (Luke 19:41-44 ).

He was holding the nation accountable for their failure to understand Daniel 9:24-27 where nearly 6 centuries earlier the angel Gabriel had told Daniel of a 490 year period that would begin when they received permission to rebuild Jerusalem and culminate in the end of the age. Gabriel told Daniel that the Messiah would come 483 years into that period (Daniel 9:25 ). Sure enough, here He was standing in their midst right on time.

There’s no indication from the Biblical record that Jesus ever spoke to the disciples about the fact that the coming Church Age would interrupt Daniel’s prophecy and delay its completion by about 2,000 years. In fact from Acts 1:6 we learn that 40 days after the crucifixion they expected Him to restore the Kingdom to Israel at that time.

It wasn’t until James explained things to them some 20 years later that they understood how Israel was being set aside while the Lord took a people for Himself from among the Gentiles (Acts 15:13-18 ). A word study on this passage will reveal a hint of the rapture, and shortly thereafter Paul became the first person on Earth to present a clear teaching on the doctrine of the rapture (1 Cor. 15:51-53, 1 Thes. 4:16-17 ), saying He was revealing a secret in doing so (1 Cor. 15:51 ).

Therefore, on that afternoon on the Mt. Of Olives all the disciples could have known for sure was that 483 years of the 490 year prophecy of Daniel had passed, there were only 7 years left and Jesus had just told them that the Temple, all of its buildings and indeed all of Jerusalem were going to be destroyed. It must have been quite a shock to hear this, and it prompted four of them (Peter, James, John and Andrew) to come to Him privately for clarification.

Comparing Daniel’s prophecy with what the Lord Himself had repeatedly told them, they were beginning to understand that Jesus was about to die, and so the questions they asked Him had to do with when the Temple and the city would be destroyed, what would be the sign of His (second) coming, and of the end of the age, by which I believe they meant the fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy (Matt. 24:3 )

These were Jewish men speaking with the Jewish Messiah about the future of Israel and in His 2 chapter answer Jesus referred to Israel repeatedly, but never said a single word about the largely Gentile Church or the amount of time that would pass before the final seven years were completed.
After some general observations about things that would happen, Jesus gave them this summary of the future.

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come” (Matt. 24:9-14 ).

Not only is there no mention of the Church in this summary, several of the things He said are not even relevant to the church. They were intended for Israel. For example, it’s Israel that has always been hated by all nations because of Him, it’s Israel that has experienced many turning away from the Jewish faith, it’s Israel that has to remain faithful to the end to be saved, and it’s Israel that has been promised a Kingdom on Earth as a testimony to all nations.

What Will Be The Sign Of Your Coming ?

Beginning in Matt. 24:15 , Jesus gave the first specific sign of His coming and once again it concerned Israel. The abomination of desolation He spoke of requires a Temple, indicating a national presence for Israel in the promised land with people adhering to their Old Covenant relationship with God. We now know that hasn’t been possible for nearly 2,000 years but the disciples had no idea.

The people Jesus told to flee when they see the abomination would be living in Judea, historically the area around Jerusalem. They were told to pray their flight won’t take place in the winter, when the weather in Jerusalem can be bad, or on the Sabbath, because covenant keeping Jews are uniquely forbidden from traveling on the Sabbath (Matt. 24:15-20 ).

Jesus said the abomination of desolation will be the sign that the Great Tribulation is beginning (Matt. 24:21 ). This is a time when Jeremiah 30:1-11 tells us two things will happen; all the nations among which the Jews have been scattered will be destroyed, and Israel will be purified in preparation for the promised Kingdom (Jere. 30:11 ).
Jeremiah called this the time of Jacob’s trouble (Jere. 30:7 ), which is the Old Testament name for the Great Tribulation, and said it will result in David becoming their king (Jere. 30:9 ) something that hasn’t happened yet.
The Church is nowhere in view here and in fact both Paul (Romans 5:9, 1 Thes. 1:10 ) and Jesus (Rev. 3:10 ) promised that the Church will not be present for this.

“Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other” (Matt. 24:30-31 ).

Some claim this is a description of the rapture but if that’s true it violates the Jewish context of the passage without any explanation or justification. It’s based on the fact that the Greek word for trumpet appears both here and in 1 Cor. 15: 52 . But that is not an acceptable reason to tie these verses together, because there are other factors that make them obviously different. One is that in
1 Thes. 4:16-17 the only angel mentioned is “the archangel” not some unknown number of angels scouring the heavens. Another is that it turns the rapture from a signless, secret event into one that can’t happen until there is a sign for all the world to see, and until the second coming is already in progress. It would mean that while all the world is standing there watching Jesus descend from heaven in power and glory, He will suddenly scoop up the Church and return to heaven without completing His trip to earth.

It would also violate His promise, made personally and through Paul, that He will keep us from the hour of trial that’s coming upon the whole world, delivering us from the time and place of God’s wrath.

Those who see the rapture here claim that the Church is “the elect” the Lord was talking about. But I disagree. Throughout the Old Testament, Israel was called God’s elect and since Israel was the topic of their discussion, it’s much more likely that’s who the Lord had in mind. Also, according to
Daniel 12:2-3 Israel’s resurrection will take place at the Second coming making it possible that Matt. 24:31 is referring to Old Testament saints being rounded up to receive their resurrection bodies.

Finally, there’s no mention of the Church being “the elect” in the gospels. In the only times the Lord mentioned the Church at all (Matt. 16:18 and Matt. 18:17 ) He did not use any form of the Greek word for “elect”. The first clear description of the Church as the elect did not happen until Romans 8:33 which Paul wrote over 20 years later. In my opinion, to think that the disciples would have understood the Lord to be referring to the Church in Matt. 24:22 and Matt. 24:31 is an unwarranted assumption.

So far in His answer to the disciples the Lord has given us an overview of the end times (Matt. 24:3-14 ) and then a more detailed chronological order; abomination of desolation, the Great Tribulation, and the Second Coming (Matt. 24:15-31 ).

And Of The End Of the Age?

Beginning in Matt. 24:36 He turned His attention to things that will happen after He returns. These will signal that the end of the age has come, and they provide His answer their final question. We know this because of the specific way in which He identified the day of His coming as “that day and hour” (Matt. 24:36 ) and “at the coming of the Son of Man” ( Matt. 24.36, 39 ). He was speaking of the day of His return.

Some people say that no one will be eating and drinking, or marrying and giving in marriage before the Second Coming like they were in the days of Noah. They say the terrible effects of the Great Tribulation will have made that impossible. Therefore Matt. 24:36-39 has to be referring to the rapture. But I think they’re missing the point. First of all, people have found a way to socialize and get married in the worst of times. But more importantly I think the Lord’s point here was that just as people had no idea the world was about to end in the days leading up to the flood, no one will know the world is about to end in the days leading up to the second coming.

And notice how the Lord compared “the days before the flood” in Noah’s time to “at the coming” of the Son of Man rather than the days before His coming. The worst time ever to come upon mankind will have just ended. Man’s natural tendency after any catastrophe is to believe things will return to normal, but when they actually see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with power and great glory they will finally know things will never be the same again. That’s why they will mourn when they see him coming (Matt. 24:30 ).

Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left (Matt. 24:40-41 ).

These verses are often used to support a rapture after the Great Tribulation. Aside from the fact that seeing them this way violates the context and chronology of the Lord’s message, as well as His promise to the Church, there’s a translation problem here. The Greek word translated”taken” means to “receive unto oneself” and a form of this word provides the clue of the rapture I mentioned in Acts 15:13-18 where it’s translated “take for himself” (Acts 15:14 ). It literally means “to take for the purpose of carrying away.” Before the Lord turns back to Israel to fulfill the missing 7 years of Daniel’s prophecy, He will take for Himself a people from among the Gentiles and carry us away.

So the word “taken” in Matt. 24:40-41 is not a problem, but the word translated “left” means to “put away” and was often used in the context of a divorce.

Rather than being a description of the rapture, where Paul’s definitive teachings never even mention unbelievers, let alone their disposition, these two verses are a summary of the Sheep and Goat judgment (Matt. 25:31-46 ). Both take place after the Second Coming and both involve the final destiny of believers and unbelievers who will survive the Great Tribulation and live to see the Lord’s return. Believers will be received into the kingdom but unbelievers will be put away into a place of eternal punishment.

The Lord finished his explanation of things that will mark the end of the age with several parables that describe the judgments He will conduct after He returns. I devoted an entire study to the subject of these parables that you can read in my two part posting, “Understanding the Olivet discourse Parables.” For the purpose of this study let’s just review the clues as to their timing to help you see they cannot be meant for the church.

Matt. 24:29 begins “Immediately after the distress of those days” and refers to the end of the Great Tribulation. Matt. 24:30 signals the Second Coming, with more detail contained in Matt. 24:36-44 including the first warnings that people on Earth will not know the exact day or hour of the Second Coming in advance. I believe this is due to the fact that both the Sun and Moon will have gone dark (Matt. 24:29 ) and it will be difficult to keep track of time.

Matt. 24:45-51 contains the parable of the faithful and wicked servants and describes how the Lord will deal with them “when He returns”. It ends with another warning that people won’t know the day or hour of His return in advance (Matt. 24:50 ).

Matt. 25:1-13 is the parable of the Ten virgins (bridesmaids). The opening sentence begins with “at that time”. Everything from Matt. 24:30 forward has been about the Second Coming, so the phrase “at that time” refers to the time following the Second Coming. There are many other reasons why this parable can not be about the Church that are detailed in the study I referenced above. Like the others, this parable ends with a similar warning about the unknown day and hour of the Second Coming (Matt. 25:13 ).

Matt. 25:14-30 is the Parable of the Talents. By the opening word “again” we know that the Lord was referring to the same time as the previous ones.

And in Matt. 25:31-46 the Parable of the Sheep and Goats gives us the clearest indication of timing yet. It begins with, “When the son of Man comes in all His glory, and all the angels with Him …” . As I pointed out earlier it’s the judgment of tribulation survivors, some of whom will be believers and will be welcomed into the Millennial Kingdom, while the others will be taken away to eternal punishment (Matt. 25:46 ).

The Church is the Bride of Christ, the most highly regarded group in the history of humankind, and the one with whom Jesus is closest. Failing to mention us even once in His signature discussion of the end times can only be explained by the fact that throughout the Olivet Discourse the Lord was focused on Israel and not the Church. Therefore any attempt to use this passage in reference to the rapture of the Church requires taking portions of it out of context, and in some cases a reinterpretation of the text is necessary as well. The Pre-Trib Rapture of the Church remains the only position that is consistent with a literal interpretation of the Scriptures. You can almost hear the footsteps of the Messiah.

https://gracethrufaith.com/end-times-prophecy/matt-24-pre-trib-rapture/#more-45184

Right on point. This is the truth a large percentage of the Church are ignorant of. The only thing I would like to add is that rapture will also take place for a few selected Jews at the middle of the tribulation. This is the 144,000 revealed in Revelation chapter 7 and where later seen in heaven in Revelation chapter 14.

There are two future rapture and two future great tribulation.