37818,
[A key argiment, is the interpretation that very generation of Jesus' disciples to whom He spoke would be the generation He referred to in Matthew 24:34. Where it is my understanding Jesus was speaking of those who would actually see the signs of the second appearing of the Son, Matthew 24:29-34, Revelation 6:12-17, Acts of the Apostles 1:11, Titus 2:13, Hebrews 9:28.]
Who do you think this is speaking of, and when?
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
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: 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
What generation?
What is vs.29 describing to you?
STUDYING THE BIBLE is FUN.
THE WAY THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT IS ENABLED to SHOW US
that STUDYING THE BIBLE is FUN
and WHAT GOD WANTS US TO UNDERSTAND
is by Following The HOLY SPIRIT and READING GOD'S WORD,
employing Important common sense Interpretive Procedures:
If one is to arrive at a correct understanding of the Olivet discourse,
he must follow Biblical Principles of Interpretation
(i.e. one must adopt a genuine
grammatical-historical theological hermeneutic,
meaning:
grammatical = WHAT DO THE WORDS SAY?
historical = WHAT WAS TAKING PLACE?
theological = THE STUDY of GOD,
hermeneutic = THE SCIENCE of "Interpretation")
...
Some basic principles of Biblical Interpretation
are as follows.
(1) The section of Scripture in question
( Grammatically = WHAT DO THE WORDS SAY?)
must be Interpreted in light of the original audience.
( Historically = WHAT WAS TAKING PLACE? )
For example, would a first-century Jewish audience regard a phrase such as
“blood, fire, vapor and smoke”
THESE ARE BIBLE WORDS and GOD PUT THEM THERE.
THE BIBLE CAN BE UNDERSTOOD.
When The Bible Passage includes the Words
“blood, fire, vapor and smoke”
THEY WERE WRITTEN TO PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE,
FOR THEM TO HEAR and UNDERSTAND, at THAT TIME.
Acts 2:19, 20;
"And I will show wonders in heaven above,
and signs in the earth beneath
-- blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
"20 The Sun will be turned into darkness,
and the Moon into blood
before that Great and Notable Day of the Lord Come."
...
Revelation 6:12; cf.;
"And I beheld when He had opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake,
and the Sun became black as sackcloth of hair,
and the Moon became as blood;
"13 and the Stars of Heaven fell to the Earth,
even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs
when she is shaken by a mighty wind.
"14 And the Heaven departed as a scroll
when it is rolled together,
and every mountain and island
were moved out of their places."
...
Joel 2:28-32;
"And it shall come to pass afterward
that I will pour out My Spirit upon all flesh;
and your sons and your daughters will Prophesy, your old men shall dream Dreams,
your young men will see Visions;
"29 and also upon the servants
and upon the handmaids in those days
will I pour out My Spirit.
30 "And I will show wonders in the Heavens
and in the Earth--
blood and fire and pillars of smoke.
"31 The sun will be turned into darkness
and the Moon into blood,
before
The Great and The Terrible Day of The LORD Come.
"32 And it will Come to Pass,
that whosoever will call on The Name of The LORD will be delivered;
because in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem
will be deliverance,
as the LORD Has Said,
and in the remnant whom the LORD Will Call."
...
So, by INCLUDING ALL BIBLE PASSAGES,
and READING GOD'S WORDS,
"GRAMMATICALLY" and "HISTORICALLY",
as to, "WHAT DID THOSE WORDS MEAN
to THE PEOPLE WHO THEY WERE WRITTEN TO?
would we 'come up' with
"blood and fire and vapor of smoke",
as
'referring' to 'nuclear war' (??)
or
that,
"blood and fire and vapor of smoke"
are OLD COVENANT PROPHETIC IMAGES
THAT GOD HAS ALREADY PLACED in THE OLD TESTAMENT
TO "PICTURE":
God's Impending Judgment on Israel?
See How FUN that is?
And How IMPORTANT it is, SIMPLY to READ THE BIBLE?
That was with One common-sense Principle of Bible Interpretation.
...
Here is a second Principle of Bible Interpretation
that MAKES BIBLE STUDY FUN.
(2) Scripture must be used to interpret Scripture.
In Matthew 24, Jesus uses terminology
that comes directly from the Old Testament Prophetic books.
What makes more sense:
using the Bible to give us the meaning
of such Apocalyptic Images,
in THE BIBLE'S OWN WORD PICTURES,
or
using 'speculations',
PURELY DREAMED UP, OUT OF NOWHERE (???)
'founded' upon the New York Times or Newsweek?
...
Thirdly,
(3) One must Interpret Biblical Passages according to their Literary Type.
Many Prophetic passages use the poetic metaphor
and the "Word Pictures", of Apocalyptic Imagery.
Apocalyptic or poetic imagery must be treated in a different manner
than a straight-forward Historical account.
Once again the key to understanding Prophetic Imagery
(e.g.,
Stars falling from Heaven,
the Sun becoming dark,
the Sky rolled up like a scroll, etc.)
is to see how such Imagery is used in the Bible,
rather than 'use' (??) current events
and modern scientific discoveries to 'speculate',
OUT OF THIN AIR (??),
and
"INVENT" IMAGINARY TRASH about supposed:
nuclear war,
bar codes,
computer chips in the hand and forehead,
attack helicopters,
tanks, etc.
THE BIBLE DEFINES IT'S OWN "WORD PICTURES".
Most books THAT PEOPLE HAVE 'REASONED OUT with THEIR MIND,
which HAS BEEN EFFECTED by THE CURSE of SIN
and 'attempt' to say they are writing on 'Prophecy' today
are COMPLETELY DISCONNECTED Exegetically from the Biblical text
for ANY Critical explanation or analysis, to INTERPRET WHAT GOD SAYS
and thus are nothing more than the 'clever fantasies' of the different authors,
WHICH ARE MEANINGLESS, OTHER THAN BEING BLASPHEME.
...
Forth:
(4) The time indicators, HISTORICALLY,
within the discourse and the immediate context that relates to the discourse
(e.g., MATTHEW 23:36;
"Truly I Say to you,
all these things Will Come upon this generation"
must be taken into account when determining the meaning
of this section of Scripture.
The time indicators (if taken at face value,
i.e. according to the normal etymological meaning)
prove that Jesus’ discourse in Matthew 24,
up to verse 24:34,
WHEN JESUS SAYS,
"But of that Day and Hour, knoweth no man,
no, not the Angels of Heaven, but My Father only."
must be applied directly and solely to Christ’s Judgment upon Jerusalem
and the Complete End of the Jewish age.
(This point will be discussed in more detail
AND ONCE YOU 'GET THAT',
YOU WILL KNOW WHAT GOD WANTS YOU TO UNDERSTAND
ABOUT THE REST OF THE BIBLE and "THE END TIMES".)
...
Fifth:
(5) Whenever one is Interpreting a section of Scripture
in the synoptic gospels
(i.e. Matthew, Mark and Luke),
parallel accounts should be carefully compared and analyzed.
Because, HISTORICALLY, Matthew wrote to a predominately Jewish audience
while Mark and Luke wrote to a predominately Gentile audience.
Therefore, if Matthew uses a phrase from Old Testament History
or Poetical Prophetic Imagery that would be obscure
or difficult for a Gentile audience,
the other gospels should be checked for clarification.
