Prophetic Snapshots from the Bible
By Clovis E. Miller
(What are the Scriptures telling Us)
Quick Links Luke 21:37-40 "...stones would immediately cry out."
Matt. 24:32-34 "This Generation shall not pass away..."
Matt. 24:37 "But as the days of Noah were..."
John 1:29 "Jesus: the Lamb from Bethlehem"
Matthew 24:22 "no flesh would be saved"
Matthew 24:30 "the sign of the Son of Man"
Rev. 12:14 "two wings of a great eagle"
More to be added
Matthew 24:22
"And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened."
What was Jesus telling His disciples when He made this statement?
We must understand that this occurance is tied to the placement of the Abomination of Desolation in the Holy Place (the temple in Jerusalem), as He previously stated (Matt. 24:15-16); and foretold by the prophet Daniel (Dan. 9:27, Dan.11.31, Dan.12.11). It is further expounded on in Rev. 13:11-18. In Matthew 24, Jesus made it clear that before the end comes, there would be many false christs, false prophets, numerous wars occuring (simultaneously). There would also be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes occuring at various places. All of these things, He called, "the beginning of sorrows". He also stated, in verse 21, that this would be followed by a period of "great tribulation", the likes of which the world has never seen, nor will ever again see. It would be a time of great persecution of those who believed in His name (verse 9).
Both of these periods: "the beginning of sorrows" and the "great tribulation", which Jesus spoke of, represent two halves of a total period of seven years (Dan. 9:27). The idea of a seven year period of tribulation is not unique to Christian eschatology. The Jewish Talmud also states that there will; be seven years of tribulation before Messiah comes to establish His Kingdom, although the Jewish people do not presently regard Jesus as that coming Messiah.
"A tradition relates: During the period of seven years in which the son of David will come, in the first year the verse will be fulfilled, "I caused it to rain upon one city and caused it not to rain upon another city" (Amos iv. 7).... In the seventh year wars will occur, and at the conclusion of this seven year period the son of David will come" (Sanh. 97a) (From: Everyman's Talmud, by Abraham Cohen. 1949. Reprint by E.P. Dutton. New York. Pages 349-350).
During the first half of the tribulation period (42 months, or 3 1/2 years), all of those things listed as a part of the "beginning of sorrows" will be brought to pass. It is also during this time, that the temple in Jerusalem will be rebuilt and the daily sacrifices restored, through a covenant made between Israel and the antichrist (see The Structure of the Seven years of Tribulation). This covenant is what causes the 'beginning of sorrows' to commence. The second half (42 months, or 3 1/2 years), begins when the antichrist breaks his covenant with Israel and the daily sacrifice is taken away; replacing it with the abomination of desolation (i.e. the image of the beast (Rev. 13:14-15)). Thereafter the "mark of the beast" (Rev. 13:16) is implemented.
In Rev. 13:15 and Rev.14:9, we are told,
15) "He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed." (NKJV).
9) "...If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand,
10) he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in thepresence of the Lamb."So, what we can understand from these verses, in context with what Jesus said in Matt. 24:22, is this:
Jesus was stating that if He did not return at the right time, everyone on earth would either be forced to receive the mark of the beast (which will come with the placing of the abomination of desolation), or they would be killed for refusing it. If Jesus were to delay His return until this happened, He would return to a world where all of the living would have the mark of the beast. Then according to Rev. 14:9-10, He would have to destroy all flesh. This would thwart God's plan for the earth to be posessed and ruled over by the "elect". In order for the plan of God to be carried out, the days of the great tribulation will be "cut short", otherwise the Antichrist would eventually track down eveyone and either kill them for refusing to receive his mark, or force them to receive it; that resulting in a situation in which "no flesh" could be saved.
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"Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory."
What was Jesus referring to when He spoke of "the sign of the Son of Man" which shall appear in heaven?
To start with, we must go back to the beginning of Matthew 24, where His disciples came to Him saying,
"...Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and the end of the age?" (verse 3)
The disciples were asking Jesus to give them something very specific to look for so that they would know with certainty that He was about to return to Jerusalem to judge the people. At this point, the disciples didn't understand that Jesus would die on the cross, ascend to heaven, and return much later. In all likelihood, they thought that He was going to leave Jerusalem shortly thereafter, and return at a later time to bring all these things to pass. To understand what this "sign" is and when it shall occur, we need to go next to Matt. 24:29 and leading into verse 30:
"Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken.
Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven..."
From this passage we learn that the end of the "great tribulation" will be marked, immediately, by a day of total darkness upon the earth. In other words, on day 2,520 (the last day of the seven year tribulation period), total darkness will fill the earth.
To fill in more details concerning that last day, when Jesus returns, we turn to chapter 14 of the Book of Zechariah. This chapter deals with Messiah coming to Jerusalem, and standing on the Mount of Olives (Acts 1:10-12), from which He will go forth and destroy all those who have set their faces against Jerusalem (Zech. 14: 2-4).
When we get to verses 6-7 of that chapter, we read:
"It shall come to pass in that day that there will be no light; the lights will diminish.
It shall be one day Which is known to the Lord --
Neither day nor night.
But at evening time it shall happen That it will be light."
On that day, when Messiah returns; first there will be total darkness upon the earth. Then there will appear an eerie unnerving light (the sign of Messiah's approach), a light perhaps as one would see at dusk, or the breaking of daylight, "...neither day nor night...". Then Messiah will burst forth upon the scene. In this dazzling display, "...every eye shall see Him..." (Rev. 1:7), and the Antichrist will be destroyed, "...with the brightness of His coming." (II Thess. 2:8). Total darkness is replaced with total light, in which there will be no hiding places for the enemies of God.
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"But the woman was given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the presence of the serpent."
Some believe the "two wings of a great eagle", mentioned in this verse, is a reference to Exodus 19:4, where it speaks of God delivering Israel from bondage in Egypt, "...on eagles wings...". Others see this as more figurative, by saying that these two represent the Old and New Testaments, which bear witness to God's plan to redeem Israel.
A more likely reference however, can be found in Malachi 4:2, where we read, "But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise with healing in his wings;..." The Hebrew word used there for healing (pronounced mar-pay') can also be translated as "deliverance", so as to read: "... the Sun of Righteousness shall arise with deliverance in his wings;..."
Malachi 4:4-6 ends by speaking of Moses and Elijah. Both healing and deliverance seem to be indicated in these verses. God will restore the Law and the Prophets to Israel through these two great men. By again receiving the Law and the Prophets, and realizing that they both point to Jesus, the Jewish people will receive a great spiritual healing. At the same time, they will also be physically delivered, from Satan's coming fury.
The "two wings of a great eagle" then, represents the two witnesses found in the book of Revelation, who will assist the Jewish people in their escape from the fury that is about to be unleashed against them by the Dragon (Rev. 12:15-17).
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The Lamb of Bethlehem In John 1:29, John the Baptist, when referring to Jesus made the statement:
"...Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!"
His words take on added significance when we understand that John the Baptist was family (his mother being the cousin of Mary), and that he knew well the prophecies concerning the coming Messiah. For instance, He knew that Jesus was born in Bethlehem {Micah 5:2}, and that He was wrapped in swaddling cloth and layed in a manger. He would also have known the prophecy of Micah 4:8,
"And you, O tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, To you shall it come, Even the former dominion shall come,The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem."
Archeologist believe that the "tower of the flock" (pronounced Mig'dal A'der, in Hebrew) was located on the northern side of the city of Bethlehem, and on the road to Jerusalem. What is the significance of this? Lambs which were used in sacrifical duties in the Temple in Jerusalem were birthed at this place. The structure itself is first mentioned in Scripture in Genesis 35:19-21, when Rachael had died near Bethlehem, "... then Israel journeyed and pitched his tent beyond the tower of E'der". Interestingly, the name "Rachael" in Hebrew (Strong's #7353) means, "ewe" (as in a female sheep). It brings to rememberance Matt. 2:17-18, when Herod ordered the death of all children two years and under in Bethlehem, in order to try to kill the Christ child. The Scripture states that, Rachael wept for her children and would not be comforted. The mother, whose name means: ewe, would not be comforted for the loss of her lambs (the children of Bethlehem). Only one is known to have escaped: the Lamb which was to later give up His life to take away the sins of the world.
Migdal E'der was originally built as a military watchtower, and later used as a watch post for the special flocks of sheep to be used by the priest in Jerusalem. Shepherds who attended flocks in this immediate vicinity, such as those to whom the angel appeared announcing the birth of the Saviour {Luke 2:8-18}, were specially trained, and kept their flocks for the purpose of providing the Temple with the sacrificial lambs and sheep, needed to carry out the commands of Scripture.
In Luke's account, the shepherds, after receiving the news of the Saviour's birth, went speedily to where the child was born.
"And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger..."
Swaddling cloth, was originally a type of binding used from ancient times to wrap newborn children, especially the children of Royal Families. It was believed that tightly binding the limbs of the infant, for a brief time after birth, would promote its limbs to grow straight, and actually cause the child to have a healthy life.
In the context of where this event occurred (Bethlehem), the reference to swaddling cloth used in conjunction with a manger, surely led the shepherds to the one place in the area where such things were used together: Migdal E'der (the tower of the flock). How else could the shepherds have found the Christ Child so quickly, in the night, except for the "sign" given to them by the angel, "...a babe wrapped in swaddling cloth, lying in a manger". No doubt, there were many stables in Bethlehem, even at that time. Most homes would have had one. The obvious place to seek such a child was certainly not at the local Inn, but at the place they were all familiar with: the same place where swaddling cloth, to bind the new born lambs, and a manger were used together; the tower of the flock.
When the birthing season for lambs came, these special shepherds brought their ewes to Migdal E'der. It is said that, the lower part of the tower was used to carry out this process. Writings, somewhat after the time of the birth of Jesus, state that He was born in a cave. It is also believed that the tower of E'der was built on top of a cave. When the lambs were born, they were immediately wrapped in strips of swaddling cloth. This was because lambs used in the Temple had to be perfect, without blemish or injury. In order to prevent the lambs from injuring themselves they were wrapped in the cloth and layed in a manger until they calmed down. Strong's Concordance (#5336) says a manger (pronounced fat-nay, in Greek) is: "... a crib (for fodder):- manger, stall".
So there is a good possibility that the Lord Jesus, was born in the birthing room (or cave) at the base of Migdal E'der, as the prophecy indicates, being the Lamb, which John the Baptist said would take away the sin of the world. He was born at Bethlehem, and sacrificed at Jerusalem, just like all of the lambs before Him; when the Priest there gave Him up to be crucified. Caiaphas, the High Priest, prophesied of Him, saying:
"...You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish."
Now this he did not say on his own authority; but being high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the nation."
Early Jewish writings state that Messiah would appear at Migdal E'der at the end of days, as a fullfillment of Micah's prophecy.
Even the name: tower of the flock, can be prophetically applied to the Lord Jesus, who continuously stands watch over the sheep (the flock of the children of God). As He said, "I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep and am known by My own." {John10:14}
Jesus: the Lamb from Bethlehem
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"But as the days of Noah were so shall the coming of the Son of Man be"
In the brief passage given here in Matt. 24, Jesus is referring to the story of the days of Noah and the Ark, as found in Genesis chapters 6-7. In that account, God declared that, because of the rampant wickedness and violence in the world, He would destroy all flesh. Noah and his family however, found grace in the eyes of the Lord and would be spared. They were commanded to build an ark in which they would take refuge from the coming judgment. When the family finally entered the ark, Scripture says that God Himself shut the door. The destruction of the wicked was now set. God however, did not destroy the wicked on that same day in which Noah and his family entered the ark. He waited yet seven more days before bringing the destroying waters upon the earth (Gen 7:4). This can be compared to Jesus taking the church up to heaven in the rapture (catching up of the church I Thess. 4:15-17 ; I Cor. 15: 51-54 ). After seven days (years), and at the revelation of Jesus, the wicked will be destroyed; not by water this time, but rather by "flaming fire: ( II Thess. 1:7-10).
Here we can also see a definite parallel between Noah protecting for his family, and Jesus protecting His Family (the Church). While the passage in Matt. 24 primarily points to the second coming of Jesus and His judgment of the wicked, we can see a certain order that was established in the Genesis account which is quite revealing. In Gen. 6:14, God told Noah to build the Ark with rooms in it. In John 14:2 , Jesus said, "In my Father's house are many mansions." Some versions of the Bible translate the word "mansions" as "rooms". When the Ark was finished, Noah took his family into it and God shut the door. Again, in John 14:2 , Jesus said, "...I go to prepare a place for you..." When that place is ready, then He will come and receive His church unto Himself and take it there, "...that where I am you may be also..." So, in John we are seeing an Ark of safety being prepared. When the church is take into it God will shut the door (Matt. 25:10); unparalleled violence and wicked will then engulf the earth (the seven year tribulation period), only to conclude with the destruction of the wicked at the revelation of Jesus Christ (Rev. 19:11)
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>>>> 5) Feast of Trumpets {Rosh Hashanna} - Lev.23:24-25; I Cor. 15:51-55; I Thess. 4:16-17
This Generation Shall Not Pass Away Matt. 24:32-34 states:
"Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.
So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near - at the doors!
Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place." (NKJV)
In prophetic circles, it is believed that the "fig tree" which Jesus spoke about, is a reference to Israel being reborn as a nation again in 1948. Jesus went on to say that the generation which saw "all these things" (including the budding of the fig tree) would not pass away, until He comes back to the earth.
How long is a generation in the Bible? Psalm 90:10 tells us,
"The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years. Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow: For it is soon cut off, and we fly away."
Consider this:
Israel became a nation again on May 14, 1948. If a Biblical generation is counted as 70 years, and we add that to the year the "fig tree" began to put forth leaves, that gives us the year 2018 as the time all these things would be finished.
The Bible shows us that there will be 7 years of tribulation before the second coming of Jesus to set up His kingdom on earth. Many Christians believe Jesus will return for the church (the rapture) before that 7 year period begins. If we deduct 7 years from the time all things would be fulfilled (2018) that gives us the year 2011.
This observation is not meant to be "date setting", but only to state that we should be mindful that His return for the church could happen in this year.
This could be fulfilled in connection with the Feast days of the Lord, as found in Lev. chapter 23.
Here is a summary of the prophetic outline of those days:Holy Days of the Spring Season (Already fullfilled by Jesus)
1) Killing the Passover Lamb {Preparation Day} - Lev. 23:5; Ex. 12:5-6; John 1:29, John 19:14-15; I Cor. 5:7
2) Feast of Unleavened Bread {also called Passover} - Lev. 23:6-8; John 6:32-35; John 12:24; Luke 22:1
3) Firstfruits - Lev. 23:11; I Cor. 15:20-23
4) Feast of Weeks {also called Pentecost} - Lev. 23:15-16; Acts 2:1-36
Holy Days of the Fall Season {Yet to be fulfilled by Jesus}
6) Day of Atonement {Yom Kippur} - Lev.23:27-32; Zech. 12:10-14, Zech.14:4; Rev. 1:7, Rev. 19:11
7) Feast of Tabernacles {Sukkot} - Lev. 23:34-36; Zech. 14:16-17; Rev.20:4, Rev. 21:3
The next Feast Day to be fulfill on this prophetic calendar is the Feast of Trumpets. That occurs yearly on the Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanna). In 2011, it will occur on Thursday, September 29th (beginning on the evening of the 28th): or, if you count from Jerusalem Time, it would start on the 28th at about 11:00 AM eastern Time (USA). It should be noted here, that in Judaism, Rosh Hashanna can never occur on a Sunday, Wednesday or Friday. That is important because in 2011, the new moon (which begins Rosh Hashanna and the Feast of Trumpets) occurs on Tuesday at 2:09 PM Jerusalem time, on the 27th of September. That means, it would normally start at sundown that evening. However, Wednesday begins at sundown on the 27th. Therefore, because of this exception, the beginning of Rosh Hashanna, and the Feast of Trumpets, is delayed 24 hours. The Sunday - Wednesday - Friday exception is not Biblically mandated, but was a ruling established by the Rabbis.
The year 2011, seems to at least mark the beginning of the generational period in which the Lord may return. If the calculations above concerning a generation are correct, the return of Jesus could occur in 2011; or "...if by reason of strength they (the days) are eighty years...", it could occur during any year from 2012 thru 2021. Israel yet has "strength", albeit it appears to be somewhat diminished from the 1960's, when it vanquished its enemies. Given the pace and direction the world seems to be moving in, it would seem difficult to believe it would occur beyond the eighty year period mentioned above.
[NOTE: As stated above, this was not meant to be setting 2011 as the year for the rapture, Obviously, it didn't occur in 2011. It was simply meant to say that we are possibly entering a specific time frame wherein it could occur. Therefore, we should focus our attention on the upcoming year or years (2012-2021), which will still be within the "eighty" years, "...if by reason of strength...", Israel should endure.]
"Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh."
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"Stones would immediately cry out"
In this passage, Jesus was making His triumphal entry into to Jerusalem just days before He would be crucified. As He, and others, arrived "at the descent of the mount of olives..." (opposite the temple mount), the crowd began to cry out, "Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven and glory in the highest." In the other gospel accounts, it was recorded that the people were shouting, "Ho-san'na to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Ho-san'na in the highest." Matt. 21:9 ; Mark 11:9-10 ; John 12:12-13.
Upon hearing the multitude of people proclaiming these things, some of the Pharisees spoke to Jesus and told Him to rebuke the people for saying such things and make them be quiet. Jesus responded by saying, " if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out."
It occured to me, as I was studying this passage, that the area where this incident took place was on the west side of the Mount of Olives. In that area (the side of the Mount of Olives opposite the temple mount) there is a massive cemetery, containing an estimated 150,000 graves. Some of the graves located there are said to date back 3,000 years, to the time of King David, and include some of the prophets of Israel. The "tomb of the prophets", near the top of the Mount of Olives is the traditional site for the burial of Malachi and Haggai.
The Jewish Virtual Library. org, has this to say:
"The large number of burial sites and tombs in Jerusalem dating from the Second Temple period (second century BCE - first century CE) have been the subject of intensive and continuing investigation. Hundreds of tombs, elaborate and simple, were hewn into the slopes of the hills surrounding the city, mainly on the Mount of Olives and Mount Scopus."
Temple Mount and lower Cemetery as seen from Mt. of Olives (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons) 1
Why did the area become such a hugh cemetery? It's mainly related to a prophecy given by the Prophet Zechariah concerning the coming of the Messiah:
Zech. 14:4
"And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleve in the midst thereof towards the east and towards the west..."
Because of this verse, Jewish people believe that when Messiah does come, and his feet touch the Mount of Olives, it will split open and the resurrection of the dead will take place. According to this belief, those buried there will be among the very first to be resurrected. Zechariah gave this prophecy more than 400 years before the birth of Jesus, so it is likely that there were many graves there by the time this incident occurred, as indicated by the Jewish Virtual Library quote above.
Tomb of Zechariah (right side) - lower part of Mount of Olives (In existence in Jesus' day) Photo courtesy of Holy Land photos.org
"The Tomb of Zechariah (by tradition the Prophet Zechariah or, by another tradition, the father of John the Baptist) is a monolithic monument cut from the surrounding rock. It is a square structure of 5 x 5 m., decorated with Ionic columns and crowned by a pyramid. It probably served as nefesh for the tomb below it." (From: Jewish Virtual Library. org.)
Tomb of Absalom - located just North of Zechariah's Tomb (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons) 2
So, it's very possible that the stones to which Jesus was referring, were not just simple field stones of the earth, but rather the tombs, or carved stones marking the graves of saints, buried on the slope of the Mount of Olives, who were awaiting the footsteps of the Messiah. Jesus appears to have been telling the Pharisees, that if the people kept quiet, those very stone of the people buried there would cry out as if to say, "don't stop the Messiah from completing His mission, lest we, and you, never rise up again."
On that day however, the prophecy of Zechariah was not to be fullfilled, for the feet of Messiah, didn't touched the soil of mountain, as He made His first trimphual entry through the area riding upon a donkey to begin the final phase of our redemption. It is quite possible that at least some of the graves opened ("...and the rocks [stones] rent...") at His death (Matt. 27:51-53) were located on the Mount of Olives.
1 & 2 (used under GNU Free Documentation License)
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