Deafpostrib.
Yes Matt 24 is to us and for us. BUT IT IS NOT ABOUT US!!! It is about Israel as noted in Ed’s discussion of the three questions that begin the discourse. The church did not even exist yet. By church I mean a body of believers baptized by the Holy Spirit on the basis of their faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. Jesus had not died yet, the middle wall of partition was still intact, the Mosaic Law was still in effect, Jews and Gentiles were not yet part of the same body. The only way to see the church in Matt 24 is to allergorize or spiritualize all, or at least most, of the OT covenant promises to the physical descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. You must replace Israel with the church and contend that God will not literally fulfill the promises to the Patriarchs or to David. How can you do that when the gospels begin with the promise that Jesus would indeed reign on the throne of His father, David?
Here is the RULE: If the literal sense makes sense, seek no other sense. If you look for an allegorical sense when the literal sense makes sense, you distort the plain sense of the text. Someone has well said that the only time you look for a figurative/allegorical sense is when the literal sense is absurd and an allegorical interpretation is the only way to make sense of a passage. It is BAD hermeneutics to interpret a passage based on your theology. Rather, your theology must be adjusted to fit the clear words of the text. I know you believe this, you stated it in an earlier post. What do you do with Israel? Give all of her covenants to the church?
I DO NOT AGREE with Ed that you have to read Matt 24 with the eyes of hope. I believe that you have to read it with a literal grammatical historical hermeneutic. Take it all just like it reads! Matthew 24 NEVER mentions the church. However, Luke does in his account of the Olivet Discourse.
YOU MUST COMPARE SCRIPTURE WITH SCRIPTURE.
Jesus tells us (in Luke’s account) that Jerusalem will be compassed about with armies and laid desolate (Luke 21:20, compare Matt 23:37-39). He says that the Jews will be scattered throughout the earth “until the times of the Gentiles” be fulfilled (Luke 21:24). The Church is in the “times of the Gentiles” right now. But there will come a day when the “fullness of the Gentiles” is complete and God will again focus on the Nation of Israel according to the New Covenant (Jer 31:31 ff. w/ Rom 11:25-27). THERE IS NO REFERENCE TO THE CHURCH IN MATT 24 and only brief reference to the “times of the Gentiles” in Luke 21.
BUT CLEARLY NOTE, THAT THE TIMES OF THE GENTILES ARE FOLLOWED BY THE SALVATION, GATHERING, REDEMPTION of ALL ISRAEL! JESUS DOES RETURN TO THE EARTH AFTER THE TRIBULATION TO DELIVER ISRAEL AND SET UP THE MK. He comes in the air prior to the Trib for His saints.
I HAVE NEVER SEEN ANYONE WHO INTERPRETED MATT 24, LUKE 21, ROM 9-11, and REV 20 in a LITERAL GRAMMATICAL HISTORICAL MANNER WHO HELD TO ANYTHING BUT A PRETRIB RAPTURE POSITION!!!
As AKI said earlier, one’s view of Israel and the Church will definitely determine his position on the Kingdom and the 2nd coming. This is foundational.
Deafpostrib, I do not mean to appear to be dismissing your extensive posts lightly. Just have not time to deal adequately with for now. Maybe start on the list of verses on page one later today or tonight. I DO APPRECIATE THE OBVIOUS AMOUNT OF TIME THAT YOU HAVE PUT INTO THIS. AND I DO APPRECIATE YOUR OBVIOUS SINCERITY IN CONTENDING FOR YOUR POSITION. I DO SEE SOME ERRORS IN YOUR INTERPRETATION AND WILL ADDRESS LATER, IN SPECIFIC DETAIL.
In HIS Service, and yours,
RJP