The Judgment Seat of Christ

Notes for the Ekklesia Meeting
Sundays @ 10:00 a.m. Info: (651) 283-0568 Discipleship Training Ministries, Inc www.dtminc.org Today’s Date: April 30, 2006

The Judgment Seat of Christ
by Dan Trygg

"But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats" Matthew 25:31,32
"For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad." II Cor. 5:10

Last time, we briefly looked at Matthew 25:31f, as one of several word pictures Jesus used to emphasize the need for His followers to stay alert and be faithful to live a life that is consistent with their Master’s wishes. In this brief account, Jesus will come to judge the nations at the end of the age. The point of the story is that, in God’s mind, the way we treat other people is tantamount to treating Jesus in that same way. If we meet the needs of those who are hungry, thirsty, strangers, naked, sick, imprisoned, then "to the extent you did it to the least of these, My brothers and sisters, you did it unto Me" (vs. 40).

To God, this is putting our faith to work, where the rubber meets the road in the nitty-gritty situations of life. To faithfully express God’s love and concern for people in these situations is valued by God as part of the good fruit He is looking to produce in our lives. It brings to us His pleasure, blessing and commendation, as well as the promise of inheriting the kingdom prepared by God from the foundation of the world (vs. 34). The disregard of the needs of others, however, is quite harshly judged. According to Jesus, those who do not help the poor, needy, lonely, sick and imprisoned are condemned by Him to the lake of fire, prepared for the devil and his angels (vs. 41).

To treat people with disregard and disdain is seen by Him as a personal affront, as though they had treated Him in the same fashion (vss. 42-45). Note that it is Jesus Himself, …who taught that He came to show the Father’s love for us, who also willingly gave Himself to die on our behalf…, who here teaches that there is an eternal punishment for those who do not live to honor God by serving others (vs. 46). In fact, Jesus talked more about hell (gehenna) than any other person in the Bible. It is important to see that God takes no pleasure in the death of anyone who faces such an end, but His justice demands that there be recompense for living selfish, evil lives (Ezk. 18:20-28;33:11).

The notion that God is a righteous Judge over mankind is not a new theme. It is a strong, foundational belief and teaching throughout the OT. This theology is the basis for the NT understanding of God as Judge, as well.

God was believed to be the Arbitrator and Judge in the affairs of men in this life, bringing wrath and destruction upon evil people and lifting up the cause of the righteous (Gen. 16:5; 31:53; Ex. 5:21; I Sam. 3:13; 24:12,15; I Kg. 8:32; II Chron. 6:22; Job 23:7; Psa. 9:19,20; 68:5; 75:7; 94:2; 96:10; Ecc. 3:17; Isa. 11:4; Ezk. 7:27; 18:30; Heb. 10:30; 13:4).

In a similar way, God was seen as arbitrating disputes among nations, judging and guiding them, even circumscribing the times and boundaries of their existence (Gen. 15:14; Judg. 11:27; II Chron. 20:10; Psa. 67:4; 110:5,6; Isa. 2:4; Ezk. 21:28-32; Dan. 4:17,25; 5:18-30; Joel 3:1-12; Amos 1:3-2:16; Nah. 1:1-3; 2:13-3:5; Acts 17:26).

He is repeatedly called the Judge of all the earth (Gen. 18:25; I Sam. 2:10; I Chron. 16:33; Psa. 9:7,8; 75:2,3; 82:8; 94:2; 96:13; 98:9; Rom. 3:6; Heb. 12:23; Rev. 20:11-15). In Daniel 7, we even have a vision of the court of heaven, before God’s throne, where judgments are made concerning the affairs of men and nations. In that particular scene, the judgment was made against an evil kingdom that will devour the entire earth, and power was given instead to "the Son of Man", who will come on the clouds of heaven. This sovereignty will be handed over to the saints, who will rule under His authority (vs. 27; cf. I Cor. 6:2; Rev. 5:10).

The significant addition that the NT brings is the revelation that the final judgment of humankind will be mediated through Jesus.

Jesus Himself introduced this in John 5. He said, "The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father" (vss. 22,23 – italics for emphasis). And again, "Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son also to have life in Himself. And He has given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of Man" (vss. 25-27). It is important to see that this was probably the second Passover feast mentioned in John’s gospel (2:13; 5:1), so this declaration came fairly early in His ministry, approximately one year into His 3½ year public life.

There were other teachings of Jesus which implied His role as Judge (e.g., Matt. 7:21-23; 10:32,33; 13:41-43).

One clear passage is Matt. 16:27, "For the Son of Man is going to come with His angels in the glory of His Father, and then He will repay each person according to what he has done."

Of course, Matt. 25:31f is also very plainly a scene of sorting out the evil and the good, and pronouncing judgment upon the wicked.

These are not the only passages that speak of Jesus as the judge of humankind. This teaching was a significant theme in the preaching and teaching of the apostles.

In fact, Peter taught, "And [God] ordered us to proclaim to the people, and to solemnly testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead" (Acts 10:42; cf. I Pet 4:5). Paul, preaching to the Greek philosophers on Mars Hill in Athens, declared, "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to people that all everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by means of a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all people by raising Him from the dead" (Acts 17:30,31).

Note what Paul said. In his teaching, it was still God doing the judging, but He was doing it through Jesus Christ.

In Rom. 2:16 he says basically the same thing, "…on the day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men through Christ Jesus."

In Rom. 14, he wrote, "If we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that He might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; for it is written, ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then each of us will give an account of himself to God" (vss. 8-12). Note who is the Lord of the dead and of the living. It is Christ.

Here, Paul says we must all stand before the judgment seat of God, but in II Cor. 5:10, he calls it something else, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil."

Furthermore, in II Tim. 4, he again states that it is Jesus who will judge the living and the dead. He is giving a charge or exhortation to Timothy, "I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, the One being about to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom…" Here, both God and Jesus are put together, but it is clear that it is Jesus who will judge the living and dead. He is the One who will appear again and bring His kingdom. Paul refers to this again in vs. 8, "Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." The word for "appearing" is the same as in verse 1, a reference to Jesus’ return. Jesus is "the righteous Judge", who will give rewards to those who have been faithful in serving Him.

Even the great white throne judgment, described in Rev. 20:11-15 must be understood from this perspective. Some scholars want to suggest that this is the final judgment by the Father, and that there is a separate "judgment seat of Christ" where Jesus judges the believers. That does not take seriously enough the passages we have been studying. An easier solution is to see that Jesus is sitting on the throne of God next to His Father (Heb. 1:1-4; cf. Matt. 26:64). Since Jesus clearly taught that the Father will judge no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, should we not suppose that it is Jesus on the throne who will actually dispense the judgment upon those brought before Him?

Why is it that the Father does not involve Himself in judging? Why has He appointed Jesus to carry this out?
First of all, this is a glimpse into the mystery of the inner workings of God’s nature. Just as in the work of creation, where we are told that all things were created out from the Father, through the Son, by the work of the Holy Spirit (I Cor. 8:6; Psa. 104:30; Gen. 1:2), in a similar fashion, God will judge the world at the initiative of the Father, through the agency of the Son (the Word), and by the action of the Spirit (e.g., Isa. 4:4; 28:6; Mic. 3:8). We see a cooperative, interactive synergy at work within God’s nature, much as our minds think a thought, our mouths express it, and our hands actually do it.

Secondly, Jesus is the most qualified and suitable Person in the universe to be our Judge. Just as Jesus Himself became a human being, and experienced our finitude and weakness, in order to be a sympathetic High Priest (Heb. 2:17,18; 4:15,16), in the same way He is most suited to be an impartial, understanding Judge. He has lived among us. He knows human limitation and weakness. He has experienced temptation, and the pressures of living in human society. He is most suited to be our Judge. No one can say to Him, "You don’t understand. This is not fair!" He does understand. In fact, He has been tempted in every area, so He understands very well what it is we have to deal with as people.

In conclusion, the Bible clearly tells us that everyone must give an account of their lives to God. There are two main issues facing us at that time. Will we be judged worthy of eternal life with God? Or will our place be in the lake of fire with Satan? Secondly, what will we receive in return for our actions here? Christ is the One who will determine both of these issues. He is the Master who will return to see what we have done in His absence.

Stay Alert and Be Faithful

Notes for the Ekklesia Meeting
Sundays @ 10:00 a.m. Info: (651) 283-0568 Discipleship Training Ministries, Inc www.dtminc.org Today’s Date: April 23, 2006

Stay Alert and Be Faithful
by Dan Trygg

"But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37 As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. " Matthew 24:36-44

This passage has been interpreted in a variety of ways. What is clear, from verse 36, is that no one knows the day or hour of Jesus’ return. The Lord makes this point quite emphatic by breaking it down more specifically. "No one" knows, not even the angels (good or evil), nor even the Son. Jesus Himself, in His earthly existence, at least, did not know the time of His return. Only the Father knows. Why is this so important? Because people will arise who claim to know the time of the Lord’s return. Such people are mistaken. At best, they are only guessing, based upon signs of the time, and their particular scheme of end-time events. Beware of such people. They will lead you into speculations and fruitless discussion, which only serve to distract us from the main focus we should have, i.e., learning to walk with God in love, from a pure heart, a good conscience and an unhypocritical faith (I Tim. 1:3-7). Anybody who claims to know the time of Jesus’ coming is suspect. God has purposely not given us all the information (Rev. 10:1-4; cf. Dan 12:4).

The second thing that Jesus tells us is that His return will be cataclysmic, like Noah’s flood. People will be operating on a "business as usual" basis, right up until the end. They will be eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, right up until the time that disaster overtakes them. Just as the people in Noah’s day were unaware of what was about to take place, though they had been warned repeatedly over many years by Noah’s preaching and example (Heb. 11:7; II Pet. 2:5), so it will be when Jesus returns. Noah’s contemporaries had turned a deaf ear to the warnings of God, and had focused merely on living for the here and now. Thus they were taken unaware by the rain and flood when it did finally come. Luke records a further expansion of this teaching (Lk. 17:26-37). There, Jesus not only refers to Noah, but also to Lot and the people of Sodom, "It was the same as happened in the days of Lot: they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; 29 but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. 30 It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed."

I grew up in a church environment that taught that Jesus would return secretly for His church. They believed that the church would be snatched away, followed by seven years of tribulation. We talked about that a couple of weeks ago. Based upon the prophecies from the book of Daniel, which Jesus referred to as a foundation for His teachings, and what the Lord Himself taught, there is no basis for a "secret return" for the church. It is nowhere to be found in the NT. It was the expectation of Christians throughout history that they would have to face persecution. As far as can be determined, the so-called "two-stage rapture" teaching first arose in 1830. It was, unfortunately, promoted by a branch of the Plymouth Brethren, popularized in this country through the Scofield Reference Bible, and became widely taught. In church history, it is a mere blip, but in many circles today, it is taught as if it is the only sound interpretation out there. It was common in that scheme of interpretation to view Matt. 24:40,41 as referring to the snatching away of believers at this "rapture" or hidden return of the Lord for His church. It is clear, however, from the context that the people "taken away" are not taken away to blessing, but to disaster, death and judgment. Like the people "taken away" by the flood, and those destroyed by the fire from heaven at Sodom, "two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left." "Two will be in one bed, one will be taken and one will be left" (Lk. 17:34; cf. the usage of the word "taken" in Jer. 6:11; "took" in Jn. 19:17). These people are not taken away for deliverance. They are taken away to death.

What about the "thief in the night" teaching? Isn’t Jesus going to come like a thief in the night? Doesn’t that mean that He will come secretly? Yes, Jesus did use the image of coming like a thief in the middle of the night, and warned us to be watchful, because we do not know the day or hour of His appearing. However, it will be those who are not living for Him who will be taken unaware, not those who are faithful. It is a common error in interpretation to misapply or misconstrue the point of a word picture used by a Biblical author, and make it fit into our view of things, instead of using it as the author intended. That is what has happened with regard to the interpretation of the "thief in the night" word picture. This word picture was used by Jesus in His earthly ministry (Lk. 12:39; Matt. 24:43), then by Paul (IThess. 5:2), Peter (II Pet. 3:10) and, finally, John quotes it two more times on the lips of the risen and glorified Jesus in the book of Revelation (3:3; 16:15). Each use emphasizes the sudden and unexpected nature of His coming. If you look more closely, however, it becomes apparent that those who know Him, and are faithfully following and serving Him, will not be caught unawares. Paul clearly draws a distinction between "us" and "them" in I Thessalonians 5: "For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night. 3 While they are saying, ‘Peace and safety!’ then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; 5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; 6 so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober." This is actually the point of most of the times the word picture occurs. It is clear from the context that if we stay alert and are faithful, we will not be caught unawares. To those who are not tuned into Christ, He will come as a thief, but not to those who are faithfully obeying Him, and watching for His coming.

In the discourse recorded here, Jesus uses five word pictures to exhort us to remain alert and faithful.

First is the parable of the householder who, if he knew that the thief was coming, would not have allowed his house to be broken into (vss. 43,44). The punch line? "For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will."

Second is the parable of the slave, left in charge of his master’s household (vss. 45-51). If he is faithful and sensible, he will carry out the master’s instructions while he is gone. Upon his return, the master will commend and promote him. If the slave is evil, however, and abuses his authority, mistreating his fellow slaves and living in luxury and drunkenness, he will be caught unawares by the master’s sudden return. He will be horribly judged and be assigned a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Third is the parable of the wise and foolish virgins (25:1-13). They had gathered to meet the bridegroom, when he came in procession from taking his bride from her father’s household to his own, to initiate the wedding feast. As they waited, they all fell asleep. At midnight, the cry announcing the bridegroom’s coming woke them, and they hurried to trim their lamps. The five who had not prepared in advance to bring enough oil had to go purchase more, and while thus occupied were locked out of the feast, and were not permitted entrance. The punch line? "Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour" (vs. 13).

Fourth is the parable of the talents. Here, a man entrusts his servants with his resources, giving them differing amounts according to their ability. One man receive 5 talents (30,000 day’s wages), another 2 (12,000 day’s wages), and another 1 talent (6,000 day’s wages). When the master returned from his journey, he called his servants to settle accounts with him. The first two had gone to work immediately upon receiving their stewardship, and had doubled what the master had entrusted to them. Both were commended and praised by their master, and were promised promotions and larger areas of stewardship. The third servant, however, had buried his master’s money in the ground. When it was his turn to settle accounts, he gave the master what he had been entrusted with, having done nothing to increase its value at all. The master was furious. He rebuked the slave as being wicked and lazy. He commanded that the money be taken away from him, and that he be cast out into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The final word picture is a scene of judgment. After Jesus returns and is established on His glorious throne, He will judge the nations. They will be judged by how they treated others, especially the "least" of them. Jesus equivocates how they treated the weak, needy and powerless with their treatment of Him. Those who treated people well, will be blessed and welcomed into the Father’s kingdom. Those who treated others poorly will be accursed and sent into the eternal punishment prepared for the devil and his angels.

It is important to see all of these parables in the context. They all are meant to convey the message that we need to respond faithfully and diligently to the responsibilities we have as servants of God. Being saved by Jesus does not simply mean we have received a ticket into heaven. It means that we have been purchased out from bondage to sin to serve God. We have been saved to serve. God takes this very seriously, and so must we. Those who stay on task, and do not selfishly abuse the Master’s provisions, or other people, …those who work to increase His kingdom, will be judged well. Those who do not will be rejected. Whatever faith they claimed to have was shown to be false by their actions. They did not live for God, so they will be rejected by Him. Those who stay on task will not miss the signs of the times, and be caught off guard by the Lord’s coming. Those who live for self will be deceived, and will not recognize what is happening until it is too late. They will be caught in the destruction that comes upon the wicked.

The King is Coming

Notes for the Ekklesia Meeting
Sundays @ 10:00 a.m. Info: (651) 283-0568 Discipleship Training Ministries, Inc www.dtminc.org Today’s Date: April 16, 2006

The King is Coming
by Dan Trygg

"From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates. 34 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away." Matthew 24:32-35

"If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ… 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. 20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death." I Corinthians 15:14,15,17-26

The testimony of the NT is clear. Jesus died for our sins, once for all; He rose again from the dead, and, after appearing physically to His disciples over a period of 40 days, He ascended to heaven. This is not some "cleverly devised myth" (II Pet. 1:16) that is a curiosity, or just a good story to be repeated as folklore to future generations. This is not just part of our cultural heritage. What happened in 30 A.D. in Jerusalem are historical events, which are strongly verifiable, using the same techniques and tests used to verify any other event in history. We need to look at that historical basis a bit more closely.

The importance of those events cannot be overstated. The meaning of all human history hinges upon what took place there in those days. The destiny and purpose for the entire human race are tied to what happened in the garden tomb that Sunday morning, which happened to coincide with the Jewish Feast of Firstfruits that year. Did Jesus rise from the dead, or not? If He didn’t, then there is no basis for the Christian message. It is all a sham. If He did, however, then we need to ask, "What is meaning of this event?" If we can believe the recorded teachings of Jesus, and the explanation of His disciples, who spoke with Him on numerous occasions after His resurrection, then the resurrection is the event that establishes the claims of Christ to being the Messiah, …to being even God having come in the flesh. It gives further credibility to the testimony of the apostles regarding His miracles. After all, if He could rise from the dead, then that same power could, indeed, have operated through Him to heal others.

More importantly, however, is what this means for our future. According to the apostle Paul, the resurrection of Jesus is proof given by God that He has appointed Jesus to judge the world (Acts 17:30,31). This is not some new spin concocted by Paul years after Jesus was gone. Paul is only faithfully repeating what Jesus Himself said. He claimed that "the Father will not judge anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, in order that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father" (Jn. 5:22,23). In Matt. 25, Jesus claims not only that He will return in glory, with the angelic hosts, to sit on the throne of His earthly kingdom, but He describes a scene which should give every man woman and child pause. Jesus says that all nations will be gathered before Him, and He will judge them (vss. 31-46). Moreover, He has the authority to send people to their eternal destiny, of either punishment or life. If this true, it does not matter what we think of our life choices, what matters is what He thinks of our life choices. We will be evaluated by Him, and His standards, not by our own conscience or by society’s morals. The NT clearly tells us that Jesus did not simply rise again from the dead to live happily ever after. That is not the end of the story.

Jesus clearly stated that He would be coming back. He rose from the dead and He will return. He is coming back to destroy the evil and corrupt power systems of this world, and establish His reign upon the earth. He taught that His people, His "generation", family or race, will remain until the end (Matt. 24:34), but He Himself is returning, and all that He taught would be fulfilled. Furthermore, those who have trusted in Him will be raised from the dead, and transformed to be like Him, both in moral purity and in physical immortality. Obviously, if He did not rise from the dead, then He was mistaken. If He died, and stayed dead, then His understanding of Himself and His mission were erroneous. Furthermore, His teachings would have no special authority, for He would have been only a man, not God. Then, as Paul said, the Church through the ages have been promulgating nothing more than a myth. People would have perished for nothing more than a made-up story. It all hinges upon the resurrection. Did Jesus rise from the dead? If so, what evidence do we have that supports that?

Evidence For The Resurrection

If everything hinges upon the event of the resurrection, what evidence is there to establish it as true?

1.) The Empty Tomb – Without an empty tomb, there would be no evidence for a resurrection. The four gospel accounts are in agreement that the tomb was empty on Sunday morning. To refute Christianity’s claims, all that would have been necessary was to show that Jesus’ tomb was still occupied.

2.) The Graveclothes – John’s account of Jesus’ burial and resurrection gives us much detail and emphasis upon the graveclothes. Normally, the deceased would be buried or entombed within a few hours of death. We see from Lazarus’ burial, that he had also been wrapped and bound in linen strips (Jn. 11:44). One thing that was unusual in Jesus’ burial was the amount of spices used in preparing the graveclothes. In preparing the body, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus used a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a 100 pounds weight. Normally, these spices were dried, so 75 pounds (these were 12 oz. pounds) would be a very large amount. It was the practice to mix the spices with oil to a gummy consistency and spread it on the wrappings as you wrapped the body. This mixture not only served as an aromatic preservative, but also dried to cement the wrappings together. Normally the body was wrapped, mummy style, from the feet up to the neck, and a separate cloth was used to wrap the head and cover the face with a napkin. When Peter and John entered the tomb and saw the graveclothes still lying there, with the napkin still rolled up by itself, John said "he believed" (20:3-8). What did they see? Not a pile of graveclothes removed from the body (If you were going to steal a corpse, why would you want to unwrap it, especially if it was all gummy and oily?), rather the body removed from the graveclothes! The wrappings were still there in the shape of the body, but Jesus was no longer within its folds!

3.) The Eye Witnesses – Eyewitness evidence is stronger if it involves multiple witnesses, in various settings and in various times. Jesus’ appearances cannot be explained in terms of emotional manipulation or crowd hysteria, because of the wide variety of people and circumstances. Some witnesses were persuaded against all expectation.

Following is a listing of the eye witness appearances of the risen Christ. Jesus appeared to:

(a.) the women returning from the angelic encounter at the tomb (Note, they went to anoint His body. They did not expect Him to be risen. There were at least four women – Lk. 24:10) – Matt. 28:1-9;

(b.) Mary Magdalene at the tomb – Jn. 20:11-18;

(c.) Peter – I Cor. 15:5; Lk. 24:34;

(d.) The two on the Emmaus Road – Lk. 24:13-35;

(e.) The ten apostles on Sunday evening – Jn. 20:19-24;

(f.) The eleven apostles a week later – Jn. 20:24-29;

(g.) A group of 500 at one time – I Cor. 15:6;

(h.) James, the brother of Jesus – I Cor. 15:7;

(i.) Seven disciples at the Sea of Galilee – Jn. 21:1-23;

(j.) The eleven on a mountain in Galilee – Matt. 28:16-20;

(k.) The eleven on the Mt. of Olives, near Bethany – Lk. 24:50-53; Acts 1:1-13;

(l.) Joseph Barsabbas and Matthias (The context indicates that they must have seen Jesus, because they were to be "witnesses of His resurrection" and they had been among the disciples from the "baptism of John, until the day that He was taken up from us") – Acts 1:21-26;

(m.) Saul of Tarsus – I Cor. 15:8; Acts 9:1-19.

To sum up, we have at least 522 different people who had seen the risen Christ. The scriptures record at least 13 different appearances. In several of these instances, the state of mind of those who saw Him was not at all expecting Him to rise from the dead (cf. a.,b.,c., d., e., i., and m. listed above) In fact, they were disheartened and grieving His death, which they thought was final. Jesus’ appearance to them caught them entirely off guard. The wide variety of settings (i.e., to individuals, to groups, in locked rooms, or outside in a variety of places) preclude any possibility of crowd control or manipulation.

As proof of the reality of His appearances, the witnesses testified that they

(a.) held His feet (Matt. 28:9);

(b.) clung to Him (Jn. 20:17); (

c.) saw the wounds in His hands and side (Jn. 20:20);

(d.) touched Him, specifically to be sure He was flesh and bone, not an apparition (Lk. 24:39);

(e.) watched Him eat fish in front of them (Lk. 24:41-43);

(f.) probed the wound holes in His hands with a finger, and put a hand into the wound in His side (Jn. 20:24-29).

They also had extensive conversations with Him, not just fleeting appearances, and He appeared to them "by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of 40 days". In other words, He appeared to them many more times than what we have record of, and He spoke with them and taught them much more than what they wrote down for us in our gospel accounts.

4.) The Transformation of the Disciples. - These men, who had fled the scene of the arrest, and were hiding behind locked doors "for fear of the Jews" (Jn. 20:19) were, within 50 days, openly proclaiming Jesus’ resurrection, even confronting the very authorities they had feared to their face (Acts 4:8-10). To a man, none returned to his former career. Every one of them spread the gospel far and wide. They received no wealth, fame or power for their efforts. Paul tells us they endured great hardship and abuse for their efforts (I Cor. 4:9-13). All except John died a martyr’s death. Yet none of them recanted their explanation for the faith that they possessed. Jesus is Risen!

5.) The Coming of the Holy Spirit, the Birth of the Church, and the Testimony of Believers Throughout History. There is no reasonable explanation for these events, especially the ongoing experience of believers, unless Christ actually did rise from the dead, and sent the Holy Spirit, as He said He would (Jn. 14:16,17; 15:26,27; Acts 2:32,33).

Tribulation Before the End

Notes for the Ekklesia Meeting
Sundays @ 10:00 a.m. Info: (651) 283-0568 Discipleship Training Ministries, Inc www.dtminc.org Today’s Date: April 9, 2006

Tribulation Before the End
by Dan Trygg

"For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be." Matthew 24:21

The first three rules of sound interpretation are (1.) context; (2.) context; and, (3.) context. That cannot be over-emphasized. In interpreting a passage such as Matthew 24, it is critical to take careful note of the context in which Jesus delivered this monologue. First of all, it was a response to the disciples’ admiration of the temple buildings. Jesus had said that they would be razed to the ground. Matthew 24 is an expansion, or further description of the events Jesus was alluding to by this statement. Secondly, it is also important to recognize that there are three different questions being asked by the disciples. Apparently, they were thinking that they would all happen at once, or within a short span of time, but that may not be the case. We have to ask if Jesus dealt with these questions separately or together, or even at all. Thirdly, we have to take into account the nature of the monologue. Jesus was not intending to give a blow by blow chronological description of events that would occur. He was speaking prophetically, using an established and well-known style of presentation, similar to apocalyptic literature. The apocalyptic style was dramatically employed by Daniel in his dreams and visions of the end of kingdoms and of the distant future. Typically, apocalyptic literature employs the use of a vision or dream as a key element of the presentation. Jesus does not do that here. The book of Revelations would be a more classic example of literature presented in that style. It also employs vivid description and cryptic symbolism, which Jesus uses only sparingly in Matthew 24. Other characteristics of apocalyptic literature are present in Jesus’ teaching, however. He does speak of events in the distant future, using bold and broad statements. He also speaks eschatologically, that is, He is teaching about the events of the end of the age. Specifically, He is teaching about the end-time coming of the Son of Man, the Messiah, who will come to judge the wicked and save His people. The main difference between Jesus’ teaching, here, and earlier apocalyptic writings is that Jesus is Himself this Messiah, returning to gather His own people.

When talking about prophetic events, the time factor is often difficult to sort out. It is like viewing a picture taken with a wide angle lens on a camera. The dimension of depth, while noticeable, can be significantly distorted. Things that are actually very far away may seem to be up close. A phenomenon similar to this seems to be present in prophetic passages about future events. Things which may appear close together in a prophetic declaration may actually be separated considerably by time. It is also not uncommon for prophetic statements to have an immediate, as well as a future, fulfillment. For example, the prophecy in Isa. 7:14, about the young woman (virgin) who would bear a son, whom she will call "Immanuel", was fulfilled in the immediate context by Isaiah’s own wife (7:10-16; 9:3-10), but 700 years later by Mary and Jesus (Lk. 1:26-35; Matt. 1:18-23). In a similar way, some of what Jesus says here in Matt. 24 had an immediate fulfillment, and apparently will yet have another fulfillment in the future.

Having laid out all of those considerations, let’s work through the passage. It is clear that verses 15-28 are describing some horrific "tribulation" or "affliction, distress, or trouble" that will come upon at least the people in Judea. Verse 15 makes a cryptic reference to the "abomination of desolation which was spoken of by the prophet Daniel". The term first occurs in Dan. 9:27, then again in 11:31, and a third time in 12:11. The context of chapter 9 describes the coming of Messiah the Prince in 69 "weeks" after a decree to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. (Most scholars see this as groupings of 7 years, meaning a total of 483 years. The decree spoken of coincided with the coming of Ezra to Jerusalem in Ezra 7:6-8, a decree from Artaxerxes I given in the 7th year of his reign, which would have been 457 B.C. Thus the 69 weeks of Daniel’s prophesy would have predicted that the appearance of Messiah the Prince would happen in 26-27A.D., the exact time Jesus began His public ministry!) Then the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end will come with a flood. Even to the end there will be wars and desolations. Daniel 11 was a prophetic vision regarding the defeat of the Persian kings by Alexander the Great. It speaks of how his empire would be divided among his four generals, and there would be conflict between the Ptolemaic dynasty in Egypt with the Seleucid kings in Syria. Because Palestine lay between these two powers, inevitably the Jews were affected by this conflict. Eventually a Seleucid king arose (Antiochus Epiphanes) who stopped the sacrifice and set up an "abomination of desolation", an idolatrous altar to Zeus which desecrated the temple in Jerusalem. He persecuted and murdered many of God’s people. Daniel prophesied the Maccabean revolt, where the Jews took action, defeating the Greeks and cleansing the temple (historical background for the feast of Hanukah). Finally, in Daniel 12, the archangel Michael and two other angels spoke with Daniel about the events of the end. They mention a time of great distress, followed by a resurrection of the dead. They told him that the power of the holy people would be shattered before the events of the end take place (vs. 7). The new information here is that "from the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days", or 3½ years. There is much more than I can write here, especially when the vision of Dan. 7 is also considered. Some recurring themes are (1.) a powerful opponent to the people of God will arise who will conquer and persecute them; (2.) he will stop the regular worship, and will set up something despicable in the sanctuary of God; (3.) he will be defeated and then the "son of Man" and the "saints" will receive the kingdom (Dan. 7:13-28).

This is the backdrop from Daniel that Jesus uses to speak to the disciples about coming events. Again, are we talking about a short-term fulfillment, a distant fulfillment, or both? We know that there was a short-term fulfillment in the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D. The devastation was incredible. They offered sacrifices to their ensigns (foremost of which was the eagle), and proclaimed Titus as the emperor and victor. The temple was desecrated, plundered and burned. Eventually the beautiful marble stones were cut up and hauled away by people for building material, so that Jesus’ words were literally fulfilled. All that remains of those great buildings is the so-called "wailing wall", a retaining wall built to contain some of the fill used to enlarge the temple mount. In Luke’s parallel account (21:20,21), Jesus says, "When you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is at hand. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, …" When the Romans began gathering around the city, the Christians heeded the words of their Master, and fled to the mountains east of the Jordan, near Pella, and escaped the destruction of the city.

Are we to suppose that this was the complete fulfillment of Jesus’ words, or will there yet be another? According to Dan. 7:23f., there will yet arise a king who will become a world ruler. This is confirmed by Rev. 13:3-7. Note also that he, too, will make war with the saints and overpower them. This sounds very similar to the prophecies of Daniel. The NT book of Revelation is comprised of visions given to the apostle John while in exile on the island of Patmos, about 95 A.D., long after the destruction of Jerusalem. Certainly this indicates we should expect a yet future fulfillment of these elements of the prophecies given by Daniel, Jesus and, now, John.
Returning to Jesus’ prophecy, note that He specifically declared that the tribulation of those days would be the worst that had ever been seen throughout history, or would ever exist (vs. 24). In fact, Jesus says that unless the period of tribulation had been cut short, no human beings would have survived. We haven’t seen anything that severe, yet, have we? If you read of the plagues in the book of Revelation, however, you can easily see that John tells of natural catastrophes that will be on such a wide and severe scale that they would, indeed, be able to destroy all life upon the earth (Rev. 8:7-12; 16:1-21). Therefore, we have not entered the final time of the end of the age. Note, too, that Jesus said that God will not allow these plagues to continue because "the elect", His chosen ones, are still upon the earth (vs. 22). Thus it is clear from this statement, as well as all the passages from Daniel, Revelations (13:1-18; 14:9-12) and from Paul’s second letter to the Thessalonians (2:1-13), that the saints, the believers, the "chosen ones" (Matt. 24:22,31) will be here through the time of the antichrist, the evil world ruler that will attack and murder the saints.

In vss. 23-26 of Matthew 24, Jesus warns of those who claim to know where Jesus is, as though He were going to come in a manner that is secret. He again warns that false Christs and false prophets will arise, and will even perform great signs and wonders to mislead, if possible, even the elect (cf. II Thess. 2:9). (Some think that the "if possible" means that the elect could not be deceived. If that were true, then there would be no point in warning us of their coming. The fact that Jesus warns us indicates to me that this is a very real and dangerous test.) To eliminate any question of confusion over so-called "hidden" "invisible" or "secret comings", Jesus plainly tells us that when He returns, His coming will be as visible as lightening shining in the sky (vs. 27). The apostle John tells us in Revelations 1:7 that "He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, …and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him." The latter part of this verse agrees with what Jesus says in Matt. 24:30. When Jesus returns, it will be very visible, and public. It won’t be a hidden, secret thing at all. People will see the sign of His coming a great ways off. There will be dramatic signs in the heavens that will immediately proceed and accompany the Lord’s return on the clouds (Lk. 21:25-27; cf. Rev. 6:12-17). When He comes, He will come in power, and the sound of a great trumpet, and He will send out His angels to gather His people from all over the world (Matt. 24:29-31). From Paul’s writings, we find out that the dead in Christ will rise from their graves, and those who are alive will be caught up to meet the Lord in the sky (I Thess. 4:13-17; I Cor. 15:50-53). When we see Him, we will be like Him (I Jn. 3:2). Our mortal bodies will be transformed, the weak and mortal being clothed with immortality (I Cor 15:35-54; II Cor. 5:4). From that time on, we shall always be with the Lord (I Thess. 4:17).

There will be trials and testings to endure throughout the age, but especially for that final generation. There will be some protection, in some cases, but many believers will also perish, giving their lives in testimony of their faith. As He had told the disciples earlier, "the one who endures until the end will be saved" (vs. 13).

What to Watch For

Notes for the Ekklesia Meeting
Sundays @ 10:00 a.m. Info: (651) 283-0568 Discipleship Training Ministries, Inc www.dtminc.org Today’s Date: April 2, 2006

What to Watch For
by Dan Trygg

"… ‘Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the summation of the age?’ 4 And Jesus answered them, ‘See that no one leads you astray.’" Matthew 24:3,4

After concluding His confrontation with the scribes and Pharisees in the temple, Jesus and His disciples departed to go out of the city. As they were leaving, the disciples were pointing out the ornate and beautiful buildings, which were indeed striking to behold. King Herod the Great (the same king who tried to have Jesus killed as a baby – Matt. 2) initiated a grand project to rebuild the temple, beginning in 19 B.C. Although Herod himself died in 4 B.C., the construction and beautification work continued up through 64 A.D. At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, He had cleansed the temple. In His confrontation with the Jewish leaders at that time, they mentioned in passing that it had taken 46 years to build the temple (Jn. 2:20). This gives us a solid date for the start of Jesus’ public preaching, 27 A.D. [This date is confirmed by Lk. 3:1,23, where it says that John the Baptist began his ministry in the 15th year of Tiberius Caesar. Since Tiberius became a co-emperor with Augustus in 12 A.D., this puts the beginning of the Baptist’s ministry in 27 A.D. It would appear that Jesus was baptized about six months into John’s ministry, which would have still been the same year.] Herod spared no expense to prepare for this project, assembling huge white marble stones for the main construction material. The white marble, coupled with large plates of gold which were hung on the eastward side of the building, caused the temple to shine brightly in the sun. It was located on a point of higher elevation than most of the rest of the city, so that with its various colonnades and courts on lower levels it resembled a snow-covered mountain, radiant in the sun, and visible from a great distance.

Jesus’ response to their admiration was that these buildings would be torn down. When they reached the Mount of Olives, across the Kidron Valley east of Jerusalem, He sat down and the disciples asked, "When will these things come to be, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" What they were thinking is not clear, but the word translated as "coming" was often used to refer to a visit from the emperor. The word translated "end" is not the typical Greek word for "last" or "final", such as when we speak of "end times". This word means "completion, consummation", or even "accomplishment". The disciples were probably expecting Jesus to describe the overthrow of the current regime, followed by the ushering in of His earthly kingdom and a new age of prosperity and peace. That this was their hope and expectation is evident from Acts 1:6-8. Their question to the post-resurrection Jesus was, "Lord, is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?" Even after His death and resurrection, they had no real grasp of what was to happen. They were hoping for the Messianic age. They did not perceive the task which lay before them. He told them, "It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has set by His own authority, but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses… to the remotest part of the earth." He directed their attention away from speculations to focus on the task at hand.

As we begin to study this chapter, it is important to recognize that we have two thousand years of church history and interpretation behind us, and there are some very different theories. If you have been in our current church culture for long, you have probably picked up at least snippets of other peoples’ beliefs concerning "end time" events. The most difficult part of coming to grips with "What did Jesus mean?" has to do with putting these predispositions aside, so that we can examine the text with an open mind and heart. That said, I also want to say that it is important to ask if there are aspects of popular theory that simply do not fit with what Jesus says. For example, one of the more popular theories today says that Jesus could come at any moment, that there are not specific signs which must be fulfilled before He comes. We must always be spiritually prepared, for He could come today. As we go through the passage, ask yourself if that idea seems to square with the tenor of what Jesus says. If not, where does this notion come from?

The next important point to make is that Jesus emphasizes, "See to it that no one misleads you" (vs. 4,11,23-25). Apparently, this is an area that will be a point of attack in the future. It is a subject that is either easy for the enemy to exploit or one which Jesus recognizes as vulnerable to deception. In any case, it is important for us to get it right, to know clearly what is going to happen, so that we are not led astray. Jesus warned that "many" will be led into deception, and even destruction, because they do not clearly understand what the Bible says about this subject. Historically, this has been the case. In every generation, people have been fooled into following some erroneous teaching in this area, or they have been manipulated into following some false or mistaken leader. Had they taken heed to what Jesus warned here, they would have avoided the hype and deception of such movements. Clearly, the responsibility is upon us to diligently teach and study this area, so that we as a people are prepared.

OK. Let’s move into what Jesus has to say. Verses 4-14 seem to be an overview of things to expect throughout the age. It is important to understand this, because we don’t want to jump to the conclusion that we are approaching Christ’s return, if we are just dealing with things that He tells us to expect to occur throughout history. What kinds of things is He talking about?

(1.) False Christs (vs. 5). There will be "many" who will come in Jesus’ name, claiming to be Him. "Many" will be led astray by these false Christs. Obviously this is a hot button. Lots of people are going to fall for these charlatans. Don’t be taken in by anyone who claims to be Christ. If someone makes that claim, or seems to be making that claim, or anything close to that, disassociate yourself from them immediately.

(2.) Wars and rumors of wars (vs. 6,7a). Jesus tells us not to get excited when wars break out. They will. We are not to be frightened into thinking that we are approaching the end of the age, just because wars are taking place. Notice He tells us not to get startled or alarmed if we hear of such events, or have to go through them. He says "it is necessary" or "it is bound" for those to happen. Wars will be part of human history throughout the age. "...but the end is not yet". This comment about the "end" clues us in to what Jesus’ focus is. He is going to teach the disciples about what to expect about the end, conclusion or completion of history will be.

(3.) Famines (vs. 7). There will be famines which will periodically occur throughout history.

(4.) Earthquakes (vs. 7). These also will occur at various times and places in human history.
As tragic as wars, famines and earthquakes are, Jesus describes them as only the "first" or "beginning’ of birth pangs (vs.8). This is an interesting word picture. It could be that Jesus is suggesting that these kinds of signs will happen with increasing intensity and frequency throughout the age. Like the birthing process, where contractions begin somewhat randomly during the last months of pregnancy, but then, once labor actually kicks in, they become stronger and closer together, it could be that Jesus is saying that wars, famines and earthquakes will exist throughout history, but will increase dramatically as we approach the end of the age. This, in fact, would seem to be true, from what we can tell from historical records. In any case, we are commanded not to be alarmed.

(5.) Persecution of believers (vs. 9). This also will be in evidence throughout the age, in all times and in every country. Persecution, even martyrdom, is to be expected. Being hated by others because we are Christians should not surprise us. They hated Him; they will hate His followers (Jn. 15:18,19). As a result of this persecution, many professing Christians will be stumbled or ensnared, and will betray other believers and disregard their lives and safety (vs. 10). (The Greek word "hate" does not necessarily mean the bitter anger that we associate with that word. It can mean to disregard or devalue another person. In this context, it could mean that some Christians will cave into pressure and will turn over other believers to authorities in order to protect themselves. Instead of loving others, they "sell them out", disregarding the lives of their former friends in order to save their own skin. Again, this is also a phenomenon that has occurred throughout history.)

(6.) False prophets (vs. 11). Again, Jesus warns that these people will "lead many astray", so we must be particularly watchful for this kind of person. The word "prophet" literally means "one who speaks before", and could refer to those who declare messages which they claim to have heard from God, or simply preachers who claim to be declaring God’s word. In any case, they are not genuine, and it is up to us to discern the truth.

(7.) Lovelessness of believers (vs. 12). Because of the increase of lawlessness, the love of the many (the saints – cf. vss. 10,11) will grow cold or be extinguished. With love extinguished, we have little left to offer the world to show the reality of Jesus in our lives. It was to be the identifying mark of the followers of Jesus (Jn. 13:34,35). When the Christians become "loveless", the church is deeply in need of revival. Love for others grows out of love for God (I Jn. 4:7,8,19-21). God is the source of agape love, and it is His character to love, so lovelessness is a symptom of an unhealthy, stunted relationship with God. Note the cause of lovelessness, here. Apparently, the lawlessness of the surrounding culture, or even the Christian culture, causes people to stop wanting to give in love, because they don’t want to be taken advantage of. Human love has its limitations. God’s love (agape) never fails or gives out (I Cor. 13:8).

But the one enduring these tests of faith until the end will be saved.

There is only one specific sign which Jesus gives in this first section which gives us a clear demarcation of time. The rest of the signs are cyclical or repetitive. They will happen at various times and places throughout history. There is one sign that we can use to see when we are getting close to the end or completion of the age. Jesus said, "This gospel will be preached as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come." Jesus will not come back until we accomplish the mission of telling the message of His death and resurrection to every nation.

One thing is very clear from Jesus’ teaching: His return was a long ways off. The whole tenor of the passage testifies to that, and the one specific sign Jesus gives makes it very clear. He won’t be coming back until the job is done. The idea that He could come any time does not fit with Jesus’ clear teaching. There are signs that will happen, and a job to be done, before He returns. We are not to be discouraged, misled or distracted from doing our job.