Category Archives: Olivet Discourse

Rapture? Three Greek Words

Posted on 10/11/2025 | 4 comments

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Please explain to me

Posted on 06/10/2025 | 2 comments

Please explain to me why Jesus several times promised his disciples that he would return within the lifetime of some of them.

First. Please explain to me why Jesus said this to his disciples before sending them on their mission to Israel:  “When you are persecuted in one town, flee to the next. I tell you the truth, the Son of Man will return before you have reached all the towns of Israel.” (Mat 10:23)

My comments:  There was an urgency for them to complete their task! Time was limited so they were to go only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel; not to carry money or extra clothing or waste time in places where their message was not received. URGENT! Jesus will return before they have reached all the towns of Israel.” Not centuries in the future!

Second. Please explain to me why Jesus told his disciples: “For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds.  And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.” (Mat 16:27-28)

My comments:  In this context, Jesus challenged these disciples to follow him. He warned them to be committed to the Kingdom of God and to be ready for his return before some of them had died.

His coming and the Kingdom of God was not centuries in the future, but a mere generation!

Third. Please explain to me why Jesus told his disciples: “And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world (Greek oikoumenē) so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come. (Mat 24:14) 

My comments: In the Olivet Discourse, Jesus once again emphasied the shortness of time to the listening disciples. The Greek oikoumenē (Strongs G3625) translates the phrase ‘the whole world’. This word, oikoumenē  meant the civilised world, the Roman empire which Paul tells us happened– see Rom 10:18, 16:26; Col 1:6, 23.   The End, his coming, he promised during the time of the apostles, in the Roman Empire. Not centuries in the future!

Fourth. Please explain to me why Jesus told his disciples to learn the lesson of fig tree. “When its branches bud and its leaves begin to sprout, you know that summer is near.  In the same way, when you see all these things, you can know his return is very near, right at the door” (Mat 24:32-33)

My comments: Jesus knew their question about when The End comes. He responded by comparing the seasonal changes in the fig tree to the time of his return. They can see when summer is near,–only a short time away. Similarly, when they see things like the Abomination of Desolation and the great tribulation they can see how close is his return. It is very near. In fact it was right at the door!

Fifthly. Please explain to me why Jesus told his disciples I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. (Mat 24:34)

My comments: Remarkably, once more in that discourse, Jesus emphasied the shortness of time to the listening disciples. The current generation of those disciples and others in Israel would not have vanished until events including the great tribulation and his coming have taken place. Within about 40 years. Not centuries in the future!

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The AD 66 Angelic Army of Fire in the Sky

Posted on 16/09/2025 | Leave a comment

I have written many times about how mistaken we are if we thought Christians would literally see the bodily return of Christ. This would be impossible.
 In my last post I wrote about the error which the famed scholar C S Lewis made. Lewis blatantly said Jesus was mistaken! He said Jesus failed to come back in the End times as he said he would. (See his book “The World’s Last Night”).
 Many others, liberal scholars, atheists and Islamic writers have assumed that since Jesus was never seen by human eyes optically, that he never appeared.

Interestingly, Lewis never resorted to twisting Jesus’ words like so many modern teachers and scholars do in claiming that Jesus meant that “this generation” meant some far-in-the-future generation! 

              Shame on those manipulators of the sacred scriptures!

But why should any human eyes see the Lord who after his ascension and glorification dwells in light at the Father’s right hand? Whose face was like the sun in all its brilliance? Whose eyes were like flames of fire? (Rev 1:14-16).
It is a huge mistake to think you could see Jesus’ coming in His bodily form with human eyes. Paul wrote he “dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see” (1 Timothy 6:16).

Jesus warned the disciples that they could be deceived by reports of sightings of his appearance at his coming (Mat 24:23-26; Luke 21:8).

The apostles expected Jesus to return within their lifetimes. Just how they would experience his coming they were not told. There is one exception to this in Paul’s Letter to the Thessalonians:

He told them how Jesus would pay them back for their suffering by the apostate Jews. God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. (2 Thes 1:7-8)

The Second Coming is also described in In the Book of Revelation. There we read a vision. Jesus rides a white horse leading an army of angels on horseback on the clouds:

 Then I saw heaven opened, and a white horse was standing there. Its rider was named Faithful and True, for he judges fairly and wages a righteous war. His eyes were like flames of fire, and on his head were many crowns. A name was written on him that no one understood except himself. He wore a robe dipped in blood, and his title was the Word of God. The armies of heaven, dressed in the finest of pure white linen, followed him on white horses. From his mouth came a sharp sword to strike down the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He will release the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty, like juice flowing from a winepress.  (Revelation 19:11-15)

We read also that Jesus told the disciples that when they would see Jerusalem surrounded by armies they must all flee from Jerusalem and Judea. “And when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then you will know that the time of its destruction has arrived. Then those in Judea must flee to the hills. Those in Jerusalem must get out, and those out in the country should not return to the city. For those will be days of God’s vengeance, and the prophetic words of the Scriptures will be fulfilled.” (Luke 21:20-22)

Now this statement of Jesus has puzzled many people. How can it be that when Jerusalem is completely surrounded, encircled with armies, then the people of God are told to flee the whole area of Judea and Jerusalem? Are they to surrender to the Roman armies? There would no way to escape through the Roman lines and walls the Romans had put up around the city.

But this is not what Jesus meant in his warning. What is the answer?

This prophecy of Jesus was fulfilled exactly in the period just before the war that destroyed Jerusalem. This was from A.D. 67 to 70.  How do we know?

We know by reading the eyewitness account of the Jewish historian Josephus. He was the historian who saw or reported all that occurred in Judea within that three-and-a-half year period. This included what which took place in the skies above Jerusalem. Such a sight could not be identified as having its origin on earth.

This was clearly a “sign” from heaven. This was a fulfilment of what Jesus said would occur that is recorded in Luke 21:20. Josephus said this happened just before the war with Romans began:

“On the twenty-first of the month Artemisium [the last day of the 2nd Passover season in A.D. 66], there appeared a miraculous phenomenon, passing belief. Indeed, what I am about to relate would, I imagine, have been deemed a fable, were it not for the narratives of eyewitnesses and for the subsequent calamities which deserved to be so signalized. For before sunset throughout all parts of the country, chariots were seen in the air and armed battalions hurtling through the clouds and encompassing the cities.” (Wars, VI. 5. 3 or Loeb VI. 298).

The Roman historian Tacitus (c. AD 56-120) records the same event in his Histories:

“Prodigies had occurred, but their expiation by the offering of victims or solemn vows is held to be unlawful by a nation which is the slave of superstition and the enemy of true beliefs. In the sky appeared a vision of armies in conflict, of glittering armor. A sudden lightning flash from the clouds lit up the Temple. The doors of the holy place abruptly opened, a superhuman voice was heard to declare that the gods were leaving it, and in the same instant came the rushing tumult of their departure. Few people placed a sinister interpretation upon this. The majority were convinced that the ancient scriptures of their priests alluded to the present as the very time when the Orient would triumph and from Judaea would go forth men destined to rule the world. (Histories”, Book 5, v. 13)

Also we see what Eusebius of Caesarea (A.D. 263-339) says in his Ecclesiastical History —

“For before the setting of the sun chariots and armed troops were seen throughout the whole region in mid-air, wheeling through the clouds and encircling the cities.” (Book 3, Ch. 8)

The parallels between these three accounts and 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8 are striking. In these three, Jesus is never identified as being at the head of this angelic army in the clouds. Yet he must have been, as we saw in Revelation 19.

So this miraculous angelic army was seen in the sky in A.D. 66 by thousands across the land of Judea.  It was made known by Roman historians, unbelievers. Thus Paul’s prophecy in his second letter to the Thessalonians 1:7-8 was fulfilled!

Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus predicted that he would come on the clouds obscured among the presence of the heavenly host. And this coming within the lifetimes of those present during his ministry. (Matthew 10:23, 16:27-28, 24:34)

What will you with this amazing information?

Prove me wrong!

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The End: What You Cannot Deny

Posted on 05/09/2025 | 3 comments

This article discusses what is meant by the biblical term ‘the end’ and in its Jewish context  We will also discuss various beliefs about when, how and what the coming of the end means for believers. Many mistakes and assumptions made by modern Christians will be exposed and hopefully corrected.

We find the phrase ‘the end’ in many eschatological contexts. But, just what is it the end of?

This is the end of an age, a long period of time. It is the end of the Mosaic age, Judaism. It’s the end of the Jewish sacrificial system, of the whole of the Jerusalem Temple and priesthood mediation. 

It is a mistake to think that the end of the age means the end of the world or the end of history. For the Jews it meant the end of the ‘current’ Jewish age, the beginning of the new age of the Messiah.

Jesus charged the disciples with the Great Commission, promising He would be with them “until the end of the age”. Some people think Jesus meant that before the end comes that the gospel must be preached to all nations. The degree of completion of this task is seen by many as a significant indicator of the approaching end times. That is also a mistake.

One of the most notable references to the End is found in Matthew 24. Verse 14 says:  this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. 

This convinces many readers that the end occurs after the gospel has been preached to all nations.

But in fact, the single Greek word Jesus used for the phrase ‘all the world’ meant something else to the disciples. It meant the Roman world or the known civilised world.

Jesus did not say ‘all would hear about the kingdom’. He said that the kingdom will be preached in all the inhabited earth. This ‘world’ was all reached within the lifetime of the apostle Paul. See the evidence at for this in Romans 10:18, 15: 10, 16:18, Colossians 1:6, 1 Thessalonians 1:8). 

That, my friends, is sensational. The End has come already. That is undeniable.

Another reference to the End is found in Paul’s 1 Corinthians 15:22-25 “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power.  For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet.  The last enemy that will be abolished is death”.

 This ‘End’ passage is centred around Paul’s teaching on the resurrection of the dead. It shows the end comes after Jesus has completed his mission and handed over the kingdom to God the Father.

Jesus was the ‘first fruits’—He was the first to rise from the dead. Others follow! Jesus has certainty completed His mission and returned to the Father long ago.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 accurately foretells that after the last trumpet has sounded, believers are consequently and quickly raised to new life after their physical death! This continues to the present day.

It is undeniable that Christians celebrate this wonderful fact at every funeral of our fellow believers!

The sound of the trumpet is a powerful biblical image associated with significant divine announcements, such as the giving of the Law at Sinai, and the call to assemble the Israelites. 

Here the “last trumpet” is the call for people of God to gather to meet the Lord also described in Matthew 24:31 and 1 Thessalonians 4:17. What could be a more significant divine announcement?

Revelation describes various events to unfold during the last days: Revelation 1:1-3; 22:6-7, 12,20.

Sure, Jesus said that no one knows the exact day or hour of His return (Matthew 24:36). But He did not say ‘years, centuries or millennia’. And He added it would be in the lifetime of many of the people He spoke with face to face. (Matthew 10:23, 16:27-28, 24:34). See, that is undeniable.

Then The End Will Come.

So when do you expect “the end’ to occur? And how do you expect Him to appear?

There is an error which the famed scholar C S Lewis made. Lewis blatantly said Jesus was mistaken! He said Jesus failed to come back in the End times as he said he would. (See his book “The World’s Last Night”). That is also the mistaken view of many liberal scholars, atheists and Islamic writers. They have assumed that since Jesus was never seen by human eyes optically, that He never appeared.

But why should any human eyes see the Lord who after His ascension and glorification dwells in unapproachable light at the Father’s right hand? No one in human flesh can see Him and live.

The first Christians expected Jesus to return within their lifetimes. Exactly how they would experience His coming they were not told. So we must be cautious in what to expect, not assuming things.

The apostles wrote 100 times in the NT letters of Jesus’ imminent coming. It is undeniable they could possibly all been mistaken.  See Romans 13:11-13; 16:20; 1 Corinthians 1:7; 4:5; 10:6; Philippians 1:6; 3:11; 1 Thessalonians 1:10-10  for undeniable evidence.  The apostles referred often to the “last days,” urging believers to be ready:  See 1 Peter 1:20; 1 Corinthians 10:11; Hebrews 1:2).

Many theologians in their blindness cannot see. So they adapted teachings to explain the apparent delay, making false assumptions. So they claim that Jesus did not mean in His current generation It must be some future generation—a nonsense assumption. Please see my article on this issue here.

Others offer the absurd explanation that the word ‘generation’ meant ‘race’ i.e., the Jewish race. We must stick to the plain words of Jesus. He consistently attacked “this evil generation” the Jews of His own generation.

It is another mistake to believe the End will be a worldwide event seen optically, quoting Matthew 24:23–30 literally. But Biblical prophesies of the collapsing of cosmic entities were a common motif in judgment prophecy, e.g. Isa 13:10, 19:1,24:18-20, 34;8-15, Ezek 32:7–8; Joel 2:28; Nah 1:3; Pss 18, 104:3). This would be understood by informed Jews familiar with the prophets and as Jesus taught His disciples.

Jesus said His return will come with speed, brightness, and power, as lightning! Jesus is not seen in the sky but ‘seen’ seated in the heavenly places at the Father’s side! Stephen said to the Sanhedrin, at his trial, “I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing at the right hand of God” (Acts 7:56).

It is a huge mistake to think you could see Jesus’ second coming optically.  He sits at the right hand of power. He “dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see” (1 Timothy 6:16).

The scriptures are plain. How clearer can we get?  It’s time for your denial to end, the brainwashing, the cognitive dissonance to be recognised and truth to prevail.

Truth is demanded by the Lord from us all. Jesus is the truth. He seeks those who want to worship God in spirit and in truth, not those who seek fantasies, like some imagined rapture.

Instead, as He said to the disciples before they killed Him: I do not ask {Father} to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.  As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.  John 17: 15-18

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Paul and his blessed hope

Posted on 02/07/2025 | Leave a comment

Paul anticipated the imminent resurrection of the dead. He knew for certain that the resurrection would occur at Jesus’ coming. The resurrection he knew that would occur on that day. He was also convinced this would occur within the lifetime of many of Jesus’ disciples. (see Matthew 24:34).

Paul called this ‘the blessed hope’.

The concept of “the blessed hope” in the New Testament refers to the confident expectation and assurance of the return of Jesus Christ. This hope was not merely wishful thinking for them. It was a divine certainty or joyful assurance. 

Paul wrote to the Corinthians about this:  It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet  sounds; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed,  and we will be changed. 53 For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54 But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “Death is swallowed up in victory.”  (1 Corinthians 15: 51-54)

Paul had this blessed hope that he would see that day. He did not expect it to come in some distant future. He believed Jesus’ words given to the disciples on the Mt Olivet (Matthew 24).

In his letter to the Philippians, a letter rejoicing in the blessed hope:

For to me, living means living for Christ, and dying is even better. 22 But if I live, I can do more fruitful work for Christ. So I really don’t know which is better. 23 I’m torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me. 24 But for your sakes, it is better that I continue to live. ( Philippians 1:21-24)

Paul longs to go and be with Christ, which would be far better. What could be better than that? To be with Christ! Notice his supreme confidence.

He goes on to urge his readers to hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. (Philippians 2:16)

Note how certain Paul was of the coming of Christ being imminent. Was he mistaken? People who are still waiting for His return must admit they are wrong or face the challenge that Jesus and the apostolic writers were mistaken.

In Philippians 3:10-11, Paul is emphatic about experiencing resurrection from the dead: I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

See also 1 Thessalonians 1:10, . .  they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. And 1 Thessalonians 2:9: After all, what gives us hope and joy, and what will be our proud reward and crown as we stand before our Lord Jesus when he returns? It is you! 

Titus 2:11-12. For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. 12 And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, 13 while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.

He emphasised that believers are to live godly lives in the present while waiting for this blessed hope, which is the glorious appearing of Jesus Christ

He also mentions this future event in other passages, reinforcing the significance of this blessed hope. See 2 Timothy 4:7-8:  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful.  And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing. y

Not only Paul but also Peter. According to his first letter, 1 Peter 1: 5-9:

5 And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.

Again, note Peter’s certainty that this great hope is their future i.e., his readers’ salvation is soon to happen. He said their salvation will be accomplished on that glorious day of His return.

Further, He confirmed to his readers:  Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world. 1 Peter 1:13

Such passages emphasise the importance of this hope. It was imminent for the life of First Century believers. This hope was central to the Christian faith, providing a foundation for both present living and future expectations.

They were not to be mistaken!

For us today, the blessed hope is not a future event as it was for the early believers. It is a present reality, as believers experience the assurance of salvation through our relationship with Jesus Christ. We know that to be with Christ is far better than remaining here—our resurrection! Yet it is important for us to remain, so we can bear witness to Him and make disciples until He calls us home .

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Why Jesus Had To Come Again

Posted on 15/06/2025 | Leave a comment

Most Bible-believing Christians wait Jesus’ second coming after 2000 years.

We are told that Jesus’ return will be unexpected. People point to Matthew 24:36, which states, “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” 

But in that same discourse to the same disciples, Jesus said I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place. Matthew 24:34.

Jesus’ words are precisely why the early Christians expected Jesus to return very soon, even within their lifetimes. As we read the letters of the apostles, we see that evidence repeatedly.

How could the apostles be so sure? The answer is they believed Jesus.

There are over one hundred passages in the apostles’ letters. These passages show how the first believers were more than confident of his return in their lifetime.

Just as these ‘timing’ passages confine Christ’s Second Coming to the first-century generation, they saw the end of the age squarely in that generation as well. See e.g.

-Phil 3:20.  . And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior.

-Titus 2:11f. . . . . we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior

-2 Thes 2:1.  . .  about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him.

James 5:8-9. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. Don’t grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door!

But when his Second Coming did not appear to happen, how could the delay be explained? Some scholars suggest that early Christians misinterpreted Jesus’ words, leading to disappointment when the Second Coming did not occur as anticipated. Even C S Lewis blatantly said Jesus was mistaken! He said Jesus did not come back as he said he would. (See his book “The World’s Last Night”). That is also the view of many liberal scholars, atheists and Islamic writers.

He failed to show up?

But is there any biblical reason to believe anyone would optically ‘see’ him coming in his glorified resurrected body to earth? Paul described the ascended Jesus as King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, and whom no human being has seen or can see. 

(1 Timothy 6:13-16).

This demand for him to be seen optically is a grave mistake. It discredits Jesus. These teachers fail to look at the rest of the New Testament. The evidence is there. The disciples believed him. He had to come on time. If not, Christianity would be falsified. Yet we know it is true.

It further appears that Jesus intended the disciples to believe in His imminent return. He often urged His followers to whom he spoke face to face to “be ready”. These passages show this:

Mark 13:33. And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert[

Luke 12:40.  You also must be ready all the time, for the Son of Man will come when least expected.”

Luke 21:36. Keep alert at all times. And pray that you might be strong enough to escape these coming horrors and stand before the Son of Man.”

These passages must be seen in their historical context—Jesus was speaking to Jewish disciples not to us.

Paul hoped to see the resurrection before he passed away, see:

Philippians 3:11, I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!

And 1 Corinthians 15: 51-53.  But let me reveal to you a wonderful secret. We will not all die, but we will all be transformed!  It will happen in a moment, in the blink of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, those who have died will be raised to live forever. And we who are living will also be transformed. For our dying bodies must be transformed into bodies that will never die; our mortal bodies must be transformed into immortal bodies. That is resurrection!

And most importantly, the author of Hebrews wrote:

    For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf. 25 And he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. 26 If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice. And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment, so also Christ was offered once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come a second time, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him.  Hebrews 9:24-28.

Did you catch that?

It is a fact that Jesus’ sacrificial death assures us of sins forgiven. He has effectively dealt with our sins by his death on the cross, as the apostles’ letters in the New Testament attest. We believe this today.

However, there is more!

The Jews in the Old Testament eagerly awaited the high-priest’s coming out of the temple on the Day of Atonement each year. His emergence alive from the Holy of Holies meant their sins were atoned for.

In like manner, Jesus would come to bring completed salvation to all believers, eagerly awaiting His coming a second time.

Without his return, those First Century believers would have expected to pass away and go to Sheol. There they would await the resurrection.

That’s why he had to come a second time.

Of course, few today believe we go to Sheol, but to Heaven. That’s what we hear and sing about at every funeral of a Christian!

Now because of his return we will enjoy the resurrection and Heaven!

I am not saying here that you, dear reader, lack complete salvation today.

Why?

Because He has already come and completed your salvation—even if you don’t believe that!

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Will You Be Left Behind?

Posted on 17/04/2025 | Leave a comment

People who follow dispensational and ‘rapture’ doctrine invariably follow the ‘left behind’ teaching,  popularised by authors and movie makers like Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins, which fictionalises the idea of a secret rapture where Christians are suddenly removed from Earth, leaving others behind to face a period of tribulation.  They apply it to the ‘rapture’. They and others like Hal Lindsey and Jerry Falwell teach that some will be taken up to heaven (the floaters} and the rest left behind on earth.

Millions of young people in the 70s joined the ‘Jesus People‘, a wonderful movement of passionate Christians all over the world. Many of these devoured the book by Lindsey, ‘The Late Great Planet Earth‘. In his book, Lindsey warned that planet earth would cease to exist within a few years. More than 15 million copies of this book were sold, and it was named ‘the bestseller of the decade’.

Sadly, it’s actually the truth that is being left behind. The ‘rapture’ doctrine does not accord with scripture. It was not taught by Jesus or by the apostles.

The passages these teachers use for their ‘left behind’ doctrine are actually only a small part of a passage which we refer to as the Olivet Discourse.

Here, Jesus was answering the questions of His disciples. It’s about the terrible time when the Romans would besiege Jerusalem (which we now know from history took place in AD 70).

These teachers take these passages out of context. How crazy is that for good interpretation?

We will look first at Matthew 24:32-41 and then relevant verses in Luke 17:26-36.

Matthew 24:37-41—Jesus was teaching the disciples about the suddenness of His coming.

37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

Now, looking at those relevant verses in Luke 17:22-36.

Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it.

I have seen this verse used as a proof text by dispensational teachers to prove that Jesus said the disciples would never see His coming. Talk about a text taken out of context!

 . . . . . . 25  But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.

What generation is that? Of course it was the current generation of Jesus and His hearers that He said would not pass away before ‘all these things’ occur (Luke 21:32, Mat 24:34).

26 “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all.

You can see this is similar to the Matthew passage, but Luke adds this to Jesus’ reported words:

28 “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulphur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.

30 “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day no one who is on the housetop, with possessions inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. 32 Remember Lot’s wife! 33 Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it. 

34 I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. 35 Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.” 

In both these passages, Jesus told the disciples that before his coming, people would live like they did in the days of Noah (Gen. 6-9). They conducted regular business. The flood came, and Noah and his family got into the ark. The ones who were left after the flood were Noah and his family, who survived the wrath of God, while those who were taken away went through judgment and didn’t survive for the flood waters took them away.

Similarly, that as Lot escaped with Abraham, the ones who are left behind and escape survive the fire and sulphur, while those who do not survive it are the people of Sodom. They were “taken away” in judgment.

Jesus said that people who surrender to his call to obedience will escape the dreadful final judgment, but they must get out of Jerusalem and flee to the hills without delay. Luke 21:20-24.

Note how these passages show a persistent Judean and a thoroughly 1st-century and Jewish context. That makes it impossible to interpret the event as happening in the future.

It is illogical to think these things will occur in modern times: it is those in Judea who must flee.  People will be killed by the sword or sent away as captives to all the nations of the world, and Jerusalem will be trampled down. History.

No. Jesus has already come and gone!

And no, you won’t be left behind!

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Jesus—A False Prophet?

Posted on 06/01/2025 | Leave a comment

Jesus made many, many promises to his disciples. Some of these promises were prophesies about his second coming. Here are just a few recorded in the Gospel of Matthew: see Mat 10:23, 16:27-28.23:34-36, 24:34. However let’s just look at the last one of these in more detail:

I tell you the truth, this generation will not pass from the scene until all these things take place.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Jesus and his apostles prophesied many times about his imminent second coming, and yet countless numbers of believers today still hold that no such return took place? So was Jesus wrong? Or have they have misunderstood what had been said?

Famed Christian apologist C S Lewis wrote a collection of essays, called ‘The World’s Last Night’, (Harvest Books, 1st edition, November 4, 2002). In that book Lewis wrote:

“It is clear from the New Testament that they all expected the Second Coming in their own lifetime. And, worse still, they had a reason, and one which you will find very embarrassing. Their Master had told them so. He shared, and indeed created, their delusion. He said in so many words, ‘this generation shall not pass till all these things be done.’ And he was wrong. He clearly knew no more about the end of the world than anyone else.”

He goes on: “It is certainly the most embarrassing verse in the Bible. Yet how teasing, also, that within fourteen words of it should come the statement “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.” The one exhibition of error and the one confession of ignorance grow side by side. That they stood thus in the mouth of Jesus himself, and were not merely placed thus by the reporter, we surely need not doubt . . . . . . .  he would never have recorded the confession of ignorance at all; he could have had no motive for doing so except a desire to tell the whole truth. And unless later copyists were equally honest they would never have preserved the (apparently) mistaken prediction about “this generation” after the passage of time had shown the (apparent) mistake. This passage (Mark 13:30-32) and the cry “Why hast thou forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34) together make up the strongest proof that the New Testament is historically reliable. The evangelists have the first great characteristic of honest witnesses: they mention facts which are, at first sight, damaging to their main contention. The facts are these: that Jesus professed himself (in some sense) ignorant, and within a moment showed that he really was so. ….”

So Lewis believed Jesus prophesied that he would return in that same generation. Lewis did not attempt to twist any words of Jesus to make them talk about some future generation, like some commentators. Lewis then concluded that those prophesies were not fulfilled at that time.  So Jesus and his apostles were delusional.

Lewis’ error stems from unrealistic expectations about what Jesus had in mind: Jesus prophesied the imminent end of the world, yet the world is still here. Jesus was wrong.

But it was not to be the end of the world. In 70 AD, Jesus came and went, having finished every single thing he promised to do, and the world is still with us today.

But why did Lewis then not reject Jesus and the apostles and return to atheism? For Lewis, the high status of Christ remained! This makes no sense.  If Lewis’ ideas were correct, it would make Jesus a liar and false prophet.

The Bible defines a false prophet as one who prophesies events that do not come to pass. If someone prophesied that a specific events would take place within a specific time and that time were to come and go without the event happening, then he could legitimately be labelled as a false prophet.

So dear reader, can you see that if you think Jesus did not come just as he promised, within that generation, you must conclude that Jesus was a false prophet.

Jesus said that he did not know “the day or the hour” of his coming. But he emphatically knew the generation within which he would come—his own, and that of his first followers!

What Lewis held was the wrong notion that Jesus’ return would mean the end of the world. He then decided to question Jesus’ understanding, rather than his own. 

Dear reader, are you making the same mistake as this greatly esteemed apologist? Perhaps you should question your own understanding, rather than the Lord Jesus’ understanding? Hey?

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The Judgment of the Sheep and Goats

Posted on 06/02/2023 | Leave a comment

We read in Matthew 24, Jesus’ disciples asked Him two questions (Mat 24:3) and we read His answers in what is known as the Olivet Discourse which runs from Mat 24:4 and ends in Mat 26:1. We read many promises, encouragements and warnings in answer to His disciples’ questions.

Remember the original Greek has no chapters and there is no break in the discourse—the three parables in Matthew 25 are certainly part of the Olivet Discourse and in it Jesus gives some light to the disciples’ question “when will these things be . . . ?” (Mat 24:3a)

Like the other parables of Jesus in the Olivet Discourse, this parable is set in the context of Israel and the Jews and belongs to when Jesus returns. The scenes are Jewish, of Israel, not worldwide. Jesus words are addressed to the Jews of His day, not to us! The scriptures are written FOR us not to us

These parables are part of the encouragements Jesus gave to his disciples to not give up.

Many scholars say this as a reference to “the last judgment” which they place at the end of history. Does scripture ever say this? Does the Bible even call it The Last Judgment? I think not. This judgment passage is contextually set in the coming of Jesus: “when the Son of Man comes . . . .”

Who are the people of these two groups?  They are certainly not us today!

These represent people who had claimed to follow Jesus. Both ‘sheep’ and ‘goats’ were in the ‘sheepfold’ of the ekklesia. But when “the chief shepherd appears (his coming) who knows his own sheep and calls them by name” (John 10:27), he could easily separate the sheep from the goats.

Of course, Scripture teaches that all people who ever have been or shall be in the world will be judged. But what is described in this passage and demanded by the context, only concerns the many 1000’s who had  opportunity to react to Jesus’ words or to the ministry of ‘his brothers’ before his return (see John 1:11f).

So just who are ‘the least of these brothers of mine’ who are represented in this parable?

Consistently throughout the Gospel of Matthew, these are those who do His Father’s will (e.g., Mat 12:49-50). It refers to those who carry the good news of the Kingdom of God, Jesus’ disciples, His representatives, from the greatest to the least. Thus He told the disciples (Mat 10:1-42), not to take provisions with them but to rely on the hospitality of those who would receive them in His name. He ends declaring, “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones who is my disciple, truly I tell you, that person will certainly not lose their reward.” (Mat 10:42) Not just the ‘least’ but ‘anyone’!

See Hebrews 2:11,17: “He is not ashamed to call His own ‘His brothers”. Note also Acts 9:4-5 where Jesus identified with persecuted believers saying to Saul “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”

It is a serious error to teach that Jesus in this parable meant the poor and disadvantaged. Of course, Jesus’ people are called to render help to anyone in need. Paul put it well: “So then, while we have opportunity, let’s do good to all people, and especially to those who are of the household of the faith.”

Jesus spoke these words on the Mt of Olives that day, to encourage the disciples, reminding them of the sufferings and persecutions they would endure (Mat 10, 24:9-13). In the days to come, many would come to their aid when they are imprisoned, thirsty, homeless, naked, etc. The Book of Acts and the apostles’ letters record numerous instances of this. Likewise many would reject them and even persecute them.

Take away: Be encouraged in following Jesus and be active supporting those who are His representatives!

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Jesus’ Return–When, What Do You Expect?

Posted on 31/01/2023 | 5 comments

Did you know this? Jesus prophesied to his disciples many awesome, enormous, life-changing events would take place within the lifetime of his Jewish contemporaries: Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. (Mat 24:34) ‘All these things’ included:
the once ever, terrible great tribulation
the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple, judgment on the very heart of Judaism
the awesome appearing of the sign of the Son of Man (Jesus) in the sky
the mourning and distress of the tribes (i.e., the Jews) of the land (i.e., Judea)
the unimaginable sight of the Messiah coming on the clouds with power and great glory. (24:30)

What then did those apostles expect from those words of Jesus spoken on the Mount of Olives that day?

The letters of the NT bear consistent statements showing that they believed Jesus’ return was close, coming within the lifetime of many, just as he promised. Dozens of statements by these authors demand a change in our thinking. Here are just a few: Acts 2:14-20; 1 Cor 10:11; Heb 1:2, 9:26, 1 Pet 1:20. All these texts limit them to the first century. Peter wrote “the end of all things was at hand” for him and his readers (1 Pet 4:7). John insisted that it was the “last hour” (1 John 2:18).

I have some questions to ask you if you are still waiting for Jesus’ return.

First. If his coming was close for them, how can it be close for you, 2000 years later on? That’s nonsense!

Second. Were Jesus and the writers of the New Testament mistaken? Yes? No?

Third. Just what are you expecting to experience at the return of Jesus? The end of the world, history, time?

    Look. That is a man-made idea. The ‘end’ or ‘last days’ in the NT refers to the end of an era, an age, not the end of time or the end of the world! This is a terrible stumbling block to people reading and understanding the meaning of Jesus’ words. The original text is not confusing or unclear about the meaning of ‘end’. The Jews thought in terms of ‘this age’ and the ‘age to come’ (e,g., Mat 12:32).

    Fourth. Just what do you expect to see at the return of Jesus? A physical Jesus coming on the clouds?

      The NT teaches that He forever sits at the right hand of power, masked by dark clouds of glory and “who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has seen or can see” (1 Tim 6:16). Seeing him, John fell ‘like a dead man’ (Rev 1:17). Many assume he would be seen by human eyes and so then imagine he has not yet come. Deception! That’s another man-made idea. Now, we hear this absurd idea that at the end of the age, the earth /universe will undergo a radical renovation and the righteous of the ages, physically resurrected from the dead, will live on this “restored” earth. Is that what you believe? Where is the Biblical evidence?

      History tells us what was actually seen by people in the first century, AD66:

      A star resembling a sword; a comet for a whole year; At the feast of unleavened bread, during the night, a bright light shone round the altar and the temple, so that it seemed to be bright day, for half an hour; a few days after that feast “Before sunset chariots and troops of soldiers in their armor were seen running about among the clouds, and surrounding of cities.” Josephus, Jewish Wars, b.6, 9, 3.

      The Roman historian Tacitus reported “There had been seen hosts joining battle in the skies, the fiery gleam of arms, the temple illuminated by a sudden radiance from the clouds. The doors of the inner shrine were suddenly thrown open, and a voice of more than mortal tone was heard to cry that the Gods were departing. At the same instant there was a mighty stir as of departure.”

      Now, I hear from people who just long to leave this planet, and to be free of bodies that are sick and broken. The mainstream news depresses people and news of loss, tragedy and WW3 threats can be overwhelming. Many are discouraged by the delayed Rapture. It’s 50 years since ‘The Late Great Planet Earth’ was published. Keeping the faith becomes more challenging for them each day. They cry ‘will Jesus EVER rescue us from this dreadful world gone haywire?”

      That’s why many believers have a negative mindset. That doesn’t help anyone. That’s why so many are so darkened in the mind focusing on the bad all the time, mocking those that see Jesus ruling for ever. All they do is proclaim the inevitable victory of evil. There is a dark veil over their mind. Their focus is on the evil in this world, and not on the glorious gospel and Kingdom of God which triumphs and is eternal.

      Do you reject scripture if it goes against your denomination? or have you been programmed to see things by “group think” within your evangelical tradition? Cognisant dissonance? Are you reading the NT as if it were spoken TO you and not the original readers in context? No. We must understand how the original audience would have understood the texts. But the purveyors of error insist that it was written to us, arguing that prophecies and events from the 1st century are to be fast-forwarded to our day! That’s nonsense, right?

      We need to change our thinking from bad teachings and this deadly escape theology, these ‘get me outta here’ attitudes. Doom and gloom. This may be difficult for many, I get it. Everyone needs to realise that we have been lied to—the greatest deception being about Jesus’ return. If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God (Col 3:1). That’s where He is right now and that’s where our victory lies! (Rev 1:5) Let’s start living joyously in the Kingdom of God!

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