hotcoffee
New Member
Matthew 24:4 Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. 5 For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. 6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8 All these are the beginning of birth pains.
First I think I have to put this into perspective. It's the last few days before the crucifixion. Jesus has done all He could to help the Jews see that they are totally messing up in the Temple. The chief priests, Pharisees, Sadducees, and elders are all appointed by and under the thumb of the Roman Government. They have been that way since Alexander the Great conquered Jerusalem for the Greeks and when Rome defeated the Greeks, the power in the Temple just shifted from one government to another.
Jesus is sitting up on the Mt. of Olives with His disciples. He's been crying over the loss of Jerusalem. According to the commentaries, this is only the second time He's actually cried. The first time He cried was when Lazarus "died". He cried over the heartbreak of death before He resurrected Lazarus. Jesus wasn't going to save Jerusalem from destruction. As He sits with His disciples looking at the Temple gleaming in the sun, He has just told the disciples that the Temple will be utterly destroyed. The disciples want to know when it will happen and what they should look for.
Jesus says a lot more horrible events are going to occur before the Temple is totally destroyed [or His return]. According to the commentaries and historians.... Jesus was right.
One commentary says this about people claiming to be the Messiah.
Many would lay, claims to being the Messiah, and, as He was universally expected, multitudes would easily be led to believe in them. There is abundant evidence that this was fully accomplished. Josephus informs us that there were many who pretended to divine inspiration; who deceived the people, leading out numbers of them into the desert. "The land," says He "was overrun with magicians, seducers, and impostors, who drew the people after them in multitudes into solitudes and deserts, to see I the signs and miracles which they promised to show by the power of God." Among these are mentioned particularly Dositheus, the Samaritan, who affirmed that He was Christ; Simon Magus, who said He appeared among the Jews as the Son of God; and Theudas, who persuaded many to go with him to the river Jordan, to see the waters divided. The names of 24 false Messiahs are recorded as having appeared between the time of the Emperor Adrian and the year 1682.
That same commentary says this about "wars and rumors of war".
It is recorded in the history of Rome that violent agitations prevailed in the Roman empire previous to the destruction of Jerusalem. Four emperors, Nero, Galba, Otho, and Vitellius, suffered violent deaths in the short space of eighteen months. In consequence of these changes in the government, there were commotions throughout the empire. Parties were formed, and bloody and violent wars were the consequence of attachment to particular emperors. This is the more remarkable, as at the time that the prophecy was made, the empire was in a state of peace.
Wars declared or threatened, but not carried into execution. Josephus says that Bardanes, and after him Vologeses, declared war against the Jews, but it was not carried into execution. He also says that Vitellius, governor of Syria, declared war against Aretas, king of Arabia, and wished to lead his army through Palestine, but the death of Tiberius prevented the war.
Wars declared or threatened, but not carried into execution. Josephus says that Bardanes, and after him Vologeses, declared war against the Jews, but it was not carried into execution. He also says that Vitellius, governor of Syria, declared war against Aretas, king of Arabia, and wished to lead his army through Palestine, but the death of Tiberius prevented the war.
Was Jesus explaining the fall of Jerusalem or the Second Coming in these verses?
