Matthew 1:1–25 The Genealogy and Birth of Jesus Christ

[Study Aired February 24, 2025]

Introduction

Today, we shall begin the study of the Book of Matthew which gives an official account of our Lord Jesus Christ’s life here on earth from His birth to His ascension. It is not clear as to who wrote the Book of Matthew. However, the earliest reliable tradition links it to Matthew, the tax collector, one of the twelve apostles that Jesus appointed, who appears in the book himself. To us, we know that the author is the Holy Spirit since all those who wrote the Bible were moved by the spirit. 

In studying the Book of Matthew, we shall focus on what the spirit is teaching us since it is the spirit behind the written accounts that gives life and not the written account itself. 

Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life. 

In studying the Book of Matthew, we shall make use of similar accounts recorded in the other three Gospels (Mark, Luke and John) to bring in the additional information they provide to make our understanding complete. 

The Gospel of Matthew describes the Lord as a lion of the tribe of Judah. Like a lion, the Lord did not turn back from all the trials and tribulations that He encountered in this life. He will not rest until He makes our enemies (our flesh) a footstool, that is, defeat our enemies. What He starts, He is able to bring to completion!!

Rev 5:5  And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. 

Pro 30:30  the lion, which is mightiest among beasts and does not turn back before any; 

Isa 31:4  For thus hath the LORD spoken unto me, Like as the lion and the young lion roaring on his prey, when a multitude of shepherds is called forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them: so shall the LORD of hosts come down to fight for mount Zion, and for the hill thereof. 

Php 1:6  Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:  

The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

Mat 1:1  The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 

Usually, the genealogy of a person is traced backwards from the sons to the father. However, if the person is a king, the pedigree usually proceeds forward from the ancestry. Here in Matthew 1:1, we can see clearly the kingship status of our Lord Jesus Christ as His roots are traced from His fathers to Himself. 

Rev 19:13  And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 

Rev 19:16  And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.

The Book of Luke, on the other hand, focuses on our Lord Jesus as a man just like us, and therefore, his genealogy account (Luke 3:23 – 38) starts from Jesus and traced back to Adam.

Luk 3:23  And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli, 
Luk 3:24  Which was the son of Matthat, which was the son of Levi, which was the son of Melchi, which was the son of Janna, which was the son of Joseph, 

Luk 3:38  Which was the son of Enos, which was the son of Seth, which was the son of Adam, which was the son of God.

In the Bible, there are two places where the phrase “the book of the genealogy” occurs. One is in the Old Testament, and the other one is in the New Testament. In the Old Testament (Genesis 5:1), it has to do with the birth or origin of Adam.

Gen 5:1  This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; 

In the New Testament, it is found here in Matthew 1:1 where we are talking about the birth or origin of our Lord Jesus Christ. What this observation implies is that the first one relates to Christ as the first Adam, and the second one in the New Testament (Mat 1:1) is Christ as the last Adam, a life-giving spirit./p>

1Co 15:45  And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit. 
1Co 15:46  Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual. 
1Co 15:47  The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven. 
1Co 15:48  As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly. 
1Co 15:49  And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.

This is all to let us know that to know Christ, we must first know the first Adam. That is to say that we must know our carnal state of our flesh before we are given to know Christ in the spirit.

It is instructive to note that here in verse 1, our Lord Jesus Christ is reported as the son of David and that of Abraham. We know that David’s son Solomon was the one who inherited David’s kingship. Therefore, saying that Jesus is the son of David is to say that Jesus is like Solomon. In Solomon’s life, he did two significant things. He spoke words of wisdom and also built the holy temple. We know that Jesus is the embodiment of words of wisdom which is the word of God and that He is the one who prepares our hearts and minds as the temple of God to sit in.

Joh 1:1  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 
1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are. 

In likewise manner, Jesus being mentioned here in verse 1 as Abraham’s son means He is likened to Isaac. In Isaac’s time, he carried out two significant things which show us what our Lord Jesus Christ was born in the flesh to do. Isaac was technically offered as a sacrifice on the altar which signifies the sacrificial offering of our Lord Jesus Christ for our sins and the sins of the whole world. 

1Jn 2:2  He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. 

Isaac also married Rebecca who came from his kindred or relative. 

Gen 24:2  And Abraham said unto his eldest servant of his house, that ruled over all that he had, Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh: 
Gen 24:3  And I will make thee swear by the LORD, the God of heaven, and the God of the earth, that thou shalt not take a wife unto my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell:
Gen 24:4  But thou shalt go unto my country, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son Isaac. 

This shows us our Lord Jesus’ marriage to the church consisted of those who are of His kindred, that is, those who are clothed with His righteousness.

Rev 19:7  Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 
Rev 19:8  And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.  

Mat 1:2  Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 
Mat 1:3  and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, 
Mat 1:4  and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 
Mat 1:5  and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 
Mat 1:6  and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 

What is significant about this account of the fathers is the mention of four women – Tamar, Rahab, Ruth and Bathsheba (wife of Uriah the Hittite).  In any of the genealogical accounts in the Old Testament, no woman was mentioned and more especially when these women were foreigners whom the Israelites consider as sinners. Three of these women are foreigners who became part of the commonwealth of Israel. Tamar was a Canaanite who was a daughter-in-law to Judah, and she committed the sin of incest. Rahab was a harlot and a citizen of Jericho, whom the Israelites defeated immediately after crossing the Jordan river. Ruth was a Moabitess whose nation was forbidden to enter the assembly of the Lord even to the tenth generation.

Deu 23:3  “No Ammonite or Moabite may enter the assembly of the LORD. Even to the tenth generation, none of them may enter the assembly of the LORD forever, 

In the case of Bathsheba, her name was not mentioned in this genealogy. However, we know that she was the wife of Uriah, the Hittite, a foreigner who became a citizen of Israel. Bathsheba was involved in an adultery with King David. The question is, why were these women mentioned in the genealogy of our Lord Jesus Christ? 

In the scriptures, a woman signifies a church. In the case of these four women, we are talking about Babylon who is a harlot. The number four means the whole of the matter under consideration. Thus, it is the whole of the church system of this world that has gone astray as a harlot to her husband Jesus. Jesus’ ancestry involving these women is to show us that technically, Jesus came out of the harlot church to establish the church of the first born or the New Jerusalem signified by Mary. As He is, so are we. We must come out of the harlot church to become part of the church of the firstborn.   

Rev 18:4  And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 

On another perspective, we can say that the fact that these women are foreigners (except Bathsheba who had links to a Hittite, a foreigner) is to reveal to us that the gentiles were part of the Lord’s plan right from the start of the establishment of the kingdom of God here on earth. It also implies the Lord’s plan of destroying the middle wall of partition between the Gentiles and the people of Israel. 

Eph 2:11  Wherefore remember, that ye being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; 
Eph 2:12  That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: 
Eph 2:13  But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 
Eph 2:14  For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us; 
Eph 2:15  Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; 
Eph 2:16  And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:

In this genealogy from Abraham to David, we have fourteen generations. The number fourteen means spiritual progress. It signifies that we have not attained yet but we are definitely making spiritual progress. It is important to note that it was only David that he was referred to as king in the fourteen generations mentioned. It is in David that we see the man after God’s own heart and how the Lord picks us up with all our frailties to establish us as kings in the kingdom of God. That is spiritual progress. 

Php 3:12  Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
Php 3:13  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, 
Php 3:14  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 
Php 3:15  Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in anything ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.  

Gen 31:41  Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.

David being given the title of “king” is to reveal to us that David is a type of our Lord Jesus Christ as king because of the following: (1) David as king was chosen by God, (2) David was a warrior king, and (3) David as king was rejected by men. We can see that our Lord Jesus being chosen by God as King of Kings is a man of war and that He was rejected by men.

Joh 1:10  He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. 
Joh 1:11  He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 
Joh 1:12  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:  

Mat 1:7  and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, 
Mat 1:8  and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 
Mat 1:9  and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 
Mat 1:10  and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, 
Mat 1:11  and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. 

It is important to note that this set of fourteen generations ends up with the deportation to Babylon. This set is of fourteen generations because David is double counted as the father of Solomon. As indicated, the number fourteen means spiritual progress. This implies that the deportation to Babylon is all part of our growing up in Christ as the Lord’s elect.

Gen 31:41  Thus have I been twenty years in thy house; I served thee fourteen years for thy two daughters, and six years for thy cattle: and thou hast changed my wages ten times.

A closer look at the names of the kings shows the absence of some of the kings as listed in 1 Chronicles 3:11-12. Those missing were Ahaziah, Joash and Amaziah. 

1Ch 3:10  And Solomon’s son was Rehoboam, Abia his son, Asa his son, Jehoshaphat his son, 
1Ch 3:11  Joram his son, Ahaziah his son, Joash his son, 
1Ch 3:12  Amaziah his son, Azariah his son, Jotham his son,
1Ch 3:13  Ahaz his son, Hezekiah his son, Manasseh his son,   

To understand why they were missing here in this account by Matthew, we need to look at the lives of these kings.

1Ki 22:51  Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel. 

1Ki 22:52  And he did evil in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother (Jezebel), and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin: 
1Ki 22:53  For he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger the LORD God of Israel, according to all that his father had done.

2Ki 1:2  And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baalzebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease.  

Ahaziah was the son of Jezebel and he was one of the worst kings in Israel. He served Baal just like his mother Jezebel. In Revelation, the Lord says concerning the children of Jezebel (that is, those who follow Jezebel doctrines) that He will kill them with death and that was what happened to Ahaziah – he died an unnatural death. Ahaziah was therefore not fit to be a king and therefore Matthew did not include his name in Jesus’ lineage.  

Rev 2:20  Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce my servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
Rev 2:21  And I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. 
Rev 2:22  Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. 
Rev 2:23 And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.  

Joash or Jehoash was the son of Ahaziah but his reign was delayed because his grandmother Athaliah killed all the royal heirs except him because he was hidden by his aunt. Athaliah therefore reigned in Judah until when Joash was seven years old and was made king by Jehoida, a priest. During the early part of his reign, he repaired the temple and destroyed Baal worship. However, over time, he allowed idolatry to grow and even went as far as had Zechariah, the son of Jehoiada the priest, who made him king, stoned to death for rebuking him. He was killed by his own servants. Athaliah was cast in the mold of Jezebel and Joash being the grandson was not different from her or Jezebel. His wickedness because of his Jezebel spirit, coupled with his unnatural death made him not fit to be king in the lineage of Jesus. 

2Ch 24:24  For the army of the Syrians came with a small company of men, and the LORD delivered a very great host into their hand, because they had forsaken the LORD God of their fathers. So they executed judgment against Joash. 
2Ch 24:25  And when they were departed from him, (for they left him in great diseases,) his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and slew him on his bed, and he died: and they buried him in the city of David, but they buried him not in the sepulchres of the kings. 

Amaziah was the son of Joash who took the reins of government when his father was unable to rule on account of sickness. After defeating the Edomites in the valley of salt, he brought back the idols of Edom and worshipped them. A conspiracy was formed against him which caused him to flee, but his life was ended by assassins. He was not regarded as being fit for a king in the lineage of Christ, and therefore Matthew omitted his name. 

2Ch 25:1  Amaziah was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. And his mother’s name was Jehoaddan of Jerusalem.
2Ch 25:2  And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, but not with a perfect heart. 
2Ch 25:3  Now it came to pass, when the kingdom was established to him, that he slew his servants that had killed the king his father.

2Ch 25:14  Now it came to pass, after that Amaziah was come from the slaughter of the Edomites, that he brought the gods of the children of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, and bowed down himself before them, and burned incense unto them. 

2Ch 25:27  Now after the time that Amaziah did turn away from following the LORD they made a conspiracy against him in Jerusalem; and he fled to Lachish: but they sent to Lachish after him, and slew him there.

All these kings not mentioned in Jesus’ genealogy died an unnatural death. Spiritually, this unnatural death refers to being put to spiritual death through serving another Jesus propagated by false apostles parading as angels of light in the corridors of Babylon. We must leave Babylon and be very resolute in our stand on false doctrines to stand the chance of being counted as king. 

Mat 1:12  And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel; 
Mat 1:13  And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor; 
Mat 1:14  And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; 
Mat 1:15  And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; 
Mat 1:16  And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. 
Mat 1:17  So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations. 

In this set of fourteen generations, a close scrutiny of the list compared with the set given in 1 Chronicles 3:15-19 shows that Jehoiakim’s name is missing here in Matthew. This is because Jehoiakim was made king by Pharaoh of Egypt and not by the Lord, and therefore his name was taken out from the genealogy of the kings. Here we are reminded that the birth of Jesus in our lives marks a giant leap in spiritual progress after escaping from being held as captives in Babylon or the physical churches of this world, to be welcomed in the New Jerusalem.

Gal 4:19  My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you, 

It is important to note that in this list, Mary is mentioned as the wife of Joseph. Mary represents the church of the first born or the new Jerusalem. This is contrasted with the four women in the first list of Jesus’ lineage where the four women signify the whole of Babylon or the physical churches of this world. It is through the New Jerusalem signified by Mary that Christ is formed in us through what every joint supplies. We must remember that our Lord Jesus Christ’s outgoings were of old, from everlasting and none can declare that generation but in the fullness of time, our Lord came as man, born of a woman to deliver us from our sins. 

Mic 5:2  But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.    

The Birth of Jesus Christ

Mat 1:18  Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 

In the Book of Luke, we are given a more detailed account of how Mary was found with child of the Holy Ghost as follows:

Luk 1:26  And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, 
Luk 1:27  To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 
Luk 1:28  And the angel came in unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women.
Luk 1:29  And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying, and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 
Luk 1:30  And the angel said unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 
Luk 1:31  And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS. 
Luk 1:32  He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 
Luk 1:33  And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 
Luk 1:34  Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 
Luk 1:35  And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. 
Luk 1:36  And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren. 
Luk 1:37  For with God nothing shall be impossible. 
Luk 1:38  And Mary said, Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the angel departed from her. 

Mary being highly favored among women signifies that she represents the New Jerusalem or the church of the first born. It is through what every joint supplies that the church gives birth to Christ within each of His elect. 

Eph 4:15  But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: 
Eph 4:16  From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love. 

The fact that Mary knew no man when she conceived Jesus means that the birth of Christ in His elect is all the work of God from the very beginning to the end. It is therefore not of Him that wills or runs, but of God showing mercy to us that counts.

Rom 9:15  For he saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion. 
Rom 9:16  So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. 

We therefore bring nothing to the table. Does Mary saying that be it unto me according to thy word suggest that she played a part in the birth of Christ for her own salvation and that of all humanity at large? Absolutely No!! That is why we must have confidence in the Lord that what He starts, He is able to bring to completion. We may not be where we want to be in the Lord as of now, but let’s not focus on our shortcomings and struggle with sin but let’s keep trusting, hoping and expecting until the day dawns and the morning star rises in our hearts!!  To Him be all the Glory!!

2Pe 1:19  We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 

Mat 1:19  Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. 
Mat 1:20  But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost. 
Mat 1:21  And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. 
Mat 1:22  Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, 
Mat 1:23  Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us. 
Mat 1:24  Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife: 
Mat 1:25  And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS. 

Joseph being a just man is the same as Job being called a righteous man. Joseph being a just man means wanting to do the right thing. It has nothing to do with the righteousness that comes through Christ. This is because we know from the Book of Job that Job himself confessed that he was a vile man when the Lord came to Him through His judgment.

Job 1:1  There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

Job 40:3  Then Job answered the LORD, and said, 
Job 40:4 Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.

Job 42:5  I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee. 
Job 42:6  Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.  

Joseph wanted to put Mary away secretly and did not want to make her a public example. As he was pondering on this, the angel of the Lord came to him in a dream to explain the whole situation. This shows us one of the key principles to unlock the mysteries of the kingdom of God. We must ponder or meditate on the word of the Lord, and it is through this that the Lord opens our understanding to the truth of His words just like what happened to Joseph. 

In my own experience, there are several times that I do not have a clue as to what the Lord is saying in His words. However, as I lay down to sleep or drive to the office, I try to think about what I have read. I may not have the answers immediately but one day, it suddenly dawned on me what the Lord was trying to say, just as the angel of the Lord came to Joseph to bring understanding to Him. On other times, it is what our brothers and sisters (angels of the Lord) say that unlock the truth in our heavens. They themselves may not know that the Lord is sending them to unlock the truth to us. That is why we are given this admonition:

Jos 1:8  This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. 

Here in Joshua 1:8, we are given another key, that is, desiring to do according to all that is written. It is then that the Lord makes our way prosperous. Making our way prosperous means being given the power not only to comprehend, but also to obey.  This was what happened to Joseph as shown in verses 24 and 25, where Joseph woke up from sleep and did according to what the angel had told him. 

May the Lord make our way prosperous to do according to all that He is showing us. Amen!!

[Study Aired March 16, 2020]

What must be fulfilled in the generation that God is judging is described within the verses of Matthew 24, written for the sake of God’s elect who are the generation that Christ is referring to (Mat 24:34)

Like all scripture it “is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”. What must be “fulfilled” in this generation is described for us in (Col 1:24) and accomplished by our hope of glory within who can give us the ability to drink the cup of his suffering (Col 1:27). Matthew chapter 24 just expands for us what that affliction is and tells us what we can expect to see unfold in the lives of those who God is working with both to will and to do of His good pleasure (Php 2:13).

A tree is known by its fruit (Luk 6:43-45) and if we are connected to the vine (Joh 15:5-7) and blessed to continue in His word to become disciples indeed who bring forth much fruit (Joh 8:31, Mar 4:20) then we must be “This generation [that] shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled”.

“This generation” is speaking of those who are predestined to be judged first in this life (1Pe 4:17, Eph 1:12, Joh 15:16, Rom 8:28-30), and that judgment is expressed through parables which hide God’s purpose and meaning from those who are not meant to understand these things which are hidden from the world at this time by God’s design (Mat 13:10-11).

The chapter culminates in pointing to the readiness required of God’s servants, the sacrifice of our life and time required in order to be that blessed servant who is providing spiritual meat in due season when our Lord returns (Mat 24:45-47).

With that in mind, I want to end with an FAQ Mike wrote at least 10 years ago, answering a former Jehovah’s Witness who was grappling with Truth of which we have been discussing on various Monday studies since May 2019.

“Conclusion to our Matthew 24 series: an FAQ from Mike.
When Will Matthew 24 Be Fulfilled?

[Excerpt from the question section]

…I also am struggling with letting go of some of the dispensationalism teachings of the JWs. Surely Matthew 24 describes some future event (I thought). But some of your explanations make a lot of sense to me, but yet confuse this carnal, milk-minded brain of mine. Maybe you can answer: when will the resurrection (first and second) occur? Is the resurrection a unique experience to each person (shortly after death)? Or is it a one-time, all-encompassing event that resurrects all of the elect (in the first resurrection) and then the rest of the dead at the second resurrection? And if it is a one-time event, what about all of those still living (on earth) at the time of “the end” just before the first resurrection? I think my dispensationally-trained mind is having a hard time with these sequence of events.

My carnal mind almost gets angry that Jesus (in Matthew 24) would almost seem to be mocking people by saying, “Oh yeah, there will be wars, earthquakes, famines, diseases… and then the end will come”. If your understanding of these words is true, isn’t Jesus just telling people, “You are going to live in a corrupt, imperfect, and violent world; then you will die, and then I will come?” If so, why all of the details? Aren’t the details important to identify the “last days”?

As I have read much of your material on the IWWB site, I have observed your quotation of Ecc 9:2-3 several times. Do these verses not refer to this “one event” or “same event” to both the righteous and the wicked alike… do these scriptures not simply refer to death? Of course, I can see that Heb 9:27 adds to the “sum of the words”…. hmmm, maybe I just answered my own question… When will Matthew 24 be fulfilled?

Hi T____,

Thanks for sharing with me your story.

It is only natural, and it happens to also be spiritually healthy, to share with others what has been our journey in coming to know Him who is the Truth. This is done at all of our Bible conferences, and having heard the stories of many from all around the world over the years, it has become clear that while the details may vary, the essential elements of all of our stories are exactly the same.

In your latest e-mail, you ask:

As I have read much of your material on the IWWB site, I have observed your quotation of Ecc 9:2-3 several times.  Do these verses not refer to this “one event” or “same event” to both the righteous and the wicked alike… do these scriptures not simply refer to death?  Of course, I can see that Heb 9:27 adds to the “sum of the words”…. hmmm, maybe I just answered my own question.

If Ecc 9:2-3 refers only to death, then Christ was lying when He said this:

Mat 4:4  But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

… and this:

Mat 24:32  Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
Mat 24:33  So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Mat 24:34  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

If Ecc 9:2 refers only to physical death then Christ was also lying when he said this:

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Rev 22:7  Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.
Rev 22:8  And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.
Rev 22:9  Then saith he unto me, See [thou do it] not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

All who are in Christ and are truly our fellowservants, “Keep the sayings of this book, and the things written therein.” In the end “all things come alike to all.”

Ecc 9:2 All things come alike to all: there is one event to the righteous, and to the wicked; to the good and to the clean, and to the unclean; to him that sacrificeth, and to him that sacrificeth not: as is the good, so is the sinner; [and] he that sweareth, as he that feareth an oath.
Ecc 9:3  This is an evil among all things that are done under the sun, that there is one event unto all: yea, also the heart of the sons of men is full of evil, and madness is in their heart while they live, and after that they go to the dead.

It makes good sense to say that the “one event” includes a life of “all things… written therein.” However, it makes no sense at all to say that the one event of death, includes “all things… written therein” which all men are commanded to “keep.”

“Keeping the sayings of the prophecy of this book” is “one event” which will, in the end, be common to all men, but there is no logical way to describe death as “all things… common to all men.”

Not one person yet has ever been brought to hunger for a deeper knowledge of our Lord, and a closer relationship with Him, without first passing through the “furnace of iron” that is our fiery experience in Egypt and in Babylon.

1Ki 8:51  For they be thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt,  from the midst of the furnace of iron:

“The furnace of iron” and “the valley of the shadow of death” are both part of the “all things… one event” which we all must endure, if we are ever to “know Him and the fellowship of His sufferings.”

Psa 23:4  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Php 3:10  That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

If you see “dying with Christ” as a daily process, then yes, that “one event” is death, but only in this Biblical sense:

Rom 6:1  What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Rom 6:2  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Rom 6:5  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Rom 6:6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.
Rom 6:7  For he that is dead is freed from sin.
Rom 6:8  Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
Rom 6:9  Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.
Rom 6:10  For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.
Rom 6:11  Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

That is the “one event” in which “all things come alike to all”. All men will, in their own appointed time, “reckon themselves to be dead indeed to sin but alive unto God.” To think of this “one event to all” simply as physical death is to completely miss out on the summation of the “many things I have yet to tell you ” of Matthew 24, which “many things” are later given us in the revelation of Jesus Christ, which we are all plainly told to “read, hear and keep.”

No one in whom the spirit of Christ dwells wants to either add to or take away from his part from the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

Rev 22:18  For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:
Rev 22:19  And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.
Rev 22:20  He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly [into the life of every man of every generation who “reads, hears and keeps the things written therein”] . Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Every word of God’s Word confirms that this, too, your story as a Jehovah’s Witness convert, is “common to all men,” whether a Jehovah’s witness or a Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal or Catholic. We all are brought to see our need for a Savior while still serving our the Egyptian taskmasters, which are the lusts of our flesh.

Exo 1:13  And the Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:
Exo 1:14  And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage, in morter, and in brick, and in all manner of service in the field: all their service, wherein they made them serve, was with rigour.

Exo 2:23  And it came to pass in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage.
Exo 2:24  And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.
Exo 2:25  And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.

When did He do this? Here is when He comes to us:

Eph 2:4  But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us,
Eph 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

So we all cry out to God to deliver us from our own flesh, and we come with an innocent heart, seeking to know God and His peace. Here is how this stage of our walk is described in the book of the revelation of Jesus Christ, which revelation we are to “read, hear and keep.”

Rev 2:2  I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars:
Rev 2:3  And hast borne, and hast patience, and for my name’s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted.
Rev 2:4  Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love.

We all come to God as babes in Christ, desiring to serve Him but with no “root in ourselves” as yet, and we come to Him while we are yet in the churches of Babylon, looking to those we love and respect to guide us in our new walk. Here is how Christ describes this part of our walk which is common to all men.

Luk 11:52  Woe unto you, lawyers! for ye have taken away the key of knowledge: ye entered not in yourselves, and them that were entering in ye hindered.

When all of this is taking place we are no more aware that we are in the grip and influence of the great whore than a child is aware that he cannot yet eat strong meat. Anyone who has reared children knows that all children think they are qualified to do the things they see their parents doing long before they really are able to do so. This is as true in spirit as it is in this temporal life. We are living our lives at this time, with all the false doctrines with which we have been reared from our youth still firmly implanted in our minds, and in that part of our walk God answers our prayers “according to the idols of our hearts.”

Eze 14:4  Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;

When I was in the Pentecostal church, God answered my prayers according to my Pentecostal idols of the heart. Later, as a World Wide Church of God member, my prayers were answered according to those doctrinal idols.

When I lived several years of my life believing the doctrines of the Concordant Publishing Concern, my prayers were answered according to those doctrinal idols. You were raised up as a Jehovah’s Witness, and God answered you according to those heart’s idols, for several years. If now you have lain aside all doctrinal and denominational biases, and have come to His word with a heart that wants only to inquire of the Word of God, then God will answer you accordingly.

It is good that you realize that you have indeed been being sustained by “the milk of the word.” While there is ‘milk’ in the churches of Babylon, it is all poisoned milk and will never lead you to know the true God of scripture. The orthodox churches all would have us believe that our heavenly Father will burn all sinners in eternal hell fire, if they do not repent and serve Christ now in this life. Many of the supposed cults like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, the Seventh Day Adventists, and at one time, the Worldwide Church of God, all believed in a heavenly Father who would merely annihilate all sinners. None of this is in accord with the scriptures which teach that is it is through figurative fire that all in Adam will be saved in Christ.

Joh 3:17  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

1Co 15:22  For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

1Ti 2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

1Ti 4:10  For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

2Pe 3:9  The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us- ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

1Jn 2:2  And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

What I pray you will come to see is that universal salvation may seem like the strong meat of God’s Word, but it is really nothing more than milk. This is made clear when we consider that even though the apostles never once taught either eternal hell fire or eternal annihilation, they did teach the doctrine of “eternal judgment,” and that doctrine of “eternal judgment,” is the teaching that  it is through judgment that aionios (eonian) judgment leads to life for all men. This is but a milk doctrine, and so it is listed.

Heb 5:12  For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which [be] the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
Heb 5:13  For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
Heb 5:14  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, [even] those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

Heb 6:1  Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Heb 6:2  Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.
Heb 6:3  And this will we do, if God permit.

(Skipping down to the next section on the resurrection…)

You are right in saying all of the elect [are] (in the first resurrection) and then the rest of the dead at the second resurrection. The time-line is laid out in Revelation 20, and all the rest of scripture verifies that time-line.

Rev 20:1  And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Rev 20:2  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Rev 20:3  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; andthey lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This [is] the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Rev 20:7  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Rev 20:8  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Rev 20:9  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Rev 20:11  And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
Rev 20:12  And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is [the book] of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
Rev 20:13  And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
Rev 20:14  And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev 20:15  And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Look at verse 9.

Rev 20:9  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.

Verse 8 makes clear that all nations are deceived, and all nations are destroyed by the “fire from heaven.” I wondered for virtually all my life, how death could possibly be destroyed to comply with this verse of scripture.

1Co 15:25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
1Co 15:26 The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

As long as human babies are being born in vessels of clay, also known as flesh, death will continue. Revelation 20:7-10 reveals that after the period of rule by God’s elect, God will bring the human race in flesh to an end.

Rev 20:7  And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Rev 20:8  And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
Rev 20:9  And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
Rev 20:10  And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

While it is true that “fire from heaven” is symbolic of the means used to destroy death, the destruction of all flesh is essential to that goal, because death will never be destroyed as long as human babies continue to be born in bodies of sinful, corruptible flesh and blood.

1Co 15:50  Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.

What do we see in the very next verse? We see the second resurrection at the great white throne judgment, which is the lake of fire which will purify all men. That fire is the Word of God, and the ‘lake’ is those in whom that Word resides.

Heb 12:29  For our God is a consuming fire.

Joh 14:9  Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou [then], Shew us the Father?

1Jn 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

These promises are only for those who understand that Christ’s Words never pass away, are lived in the lives of his elect in every generation since Christ, and are “the things written therein… the saying of the prophecy of this book” of the revelation of Jesus Christ within us.

Act 9:5  And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

Time and again, Jesus tells us that we are Him and that how this world treats us is how it treats Him.

Mat 25:31  When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
Mat 25:32  And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth [his] sheep from the goats:
Mat 25:33  And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.
Mat 25:34  Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:
Mat 25:35  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
Mat 25:36  Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.
Mat 25:37  Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed [thee]? or thirsty, and gave [thee] drink?
Mat 25:38  When saw we thee a stranger, and took [thee] in? or naked, and clothed [thee]?
Mat 25:39  Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?
Mat 25:40  And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done [it] unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
Mat 25:41  Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:
Mat 25:42  For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:
Mat 25:43  I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Mat 25:44  Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?
Mat 25:45  Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

This is the truth of the gospel for all who are in Christ:

1Jn 4:17  Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.

Be sure to read the study What Is “The Christ”?

My carnal mind almost gets angry that Jesus (in Matthew 24) would almost seem to be mocking people by saying, “Oh yeah, there will be wars, earthquakes, famines, diseases… and then the end will come”. If your understanding of these words are true, isn’t Jesus just telling people, “you are going to live in a corrupt, imperfect, and violent world; then you will die, and then I will come? If so, why all of the details? Aren’t the details important to identify the “last days”?

Absolutely! The details are important to identify the last days. That is Christ’s whole point! That is what this verse is all about:

Mat 24:32  Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer [is] nigh:
Mat 24:33  So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Mat 24:34  Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Mat 24:35  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

As long as we refuse to believe that “this generation shall not pass till all these things shall be fulfilled,” then our understanding of what is ‘the last days’ is not in line with what is called ‘the end’ in scripture. These events found in Matthew 24 are the same imminent events found throughout the book of Revelation. Look at how the revelation of Jesus Christ is both introduced and how it concludes:

Rev 1:3  Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

Does “for the time is at hand” sound like this is prophecy is not to be fulfilled for another 2,000 years? Does “for the time is at hand” mean this book is only for the last generation before Christ’s return? That is what it means if you are a dispensationalist and you view all the sayings of this prophecy from that angle. However, in doing so you are denying that Christ’s words never pass away, and in doing so you are denying that Christ and His words are the first and the last and the is, was and will be He claims to be on twelve different occasions in this book alone. In doing so you are saying that the prophecy of this book has no personal application for any of God’s elect of any past generation and that these words are applicable only for those who happen to be standing on this earth at the time of Christ’s return. Nothing could be further from the Truth. It is He who tells us “I am the Truth” who concludes this prophecy with the same admonition with which He begins it.

Rev 22:7  Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

This prophecy begins and ends with the warning to all who read it that they are to “keep the things written therein,” and they are to “keep the sayings of the prophecy of this book.” Both warnings say “the time is at hand… behold I come quickly.”

Like Christ in the 24th chapter of Matthew, these words are addressed to “whosoever reads” and not just to the last generation at the end of this age.

Mat 24:15  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.

“The holy place” is the inner chamber of the temple of God, and the New Testament is abundantly clear that “ye are the temple of God and the spirit of God dwells in you.”

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?

The abomination of desolation is not at the end of this age for those who are given eyes to see that “the end” spoken of by Christ here in Matthew 24 is the end of the age that comes upon every generation of God’s elect.

1Co 10:11  Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

So don’t be upset with Jesus Christ. He was abundantly clear that His words would never pass away and that they would be fulfilled “in this generation.” Who we all ought to reject are our Babylonian teachers who have blinded our eyes to all these obvious truths which are consistent with words which are, were and will be true in every generation.

I have no problem with the length of your letter when the heart is sincere in searching for the Truth and is not filled with “idols of the heart.”

God bless your sincere search to know the mind of God and Jesus, whom He has sent to us to reveal to us the Father.

Mat 11:27  All things are delivered unto me of my Father: and no man knoweth the Son, but the Father; neither knoweth any man the Father, save the Son, and [he] to whomsoever the Son will reveal [him].

Joh 17:3  And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

Your brother in Christ,

Mike