MATTHEW LESSON 48

     We will begin this lesson in Matthew 24:12 "And because iniquity
shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold."  Matthew 24:13 "But he
that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."

     Here, we see the condition of our churches today. Some have
already thrown up their hands and said, "what's the use?" Iniquity is
every where. If you have a television, you know that 90% of the
programs are not fit for a Christian to look at. Even on the programs
that are classified as having a good moral message, are promoting
things like reincarnation. There is just not anything worth watching.
Our poor children are subjected to terrible pressures. The evil deeds
of Sodom Gomorrah are no worse than what is going on throughout the
world today. Our children are being taught that homosexuality is an
alternate lifestyle. God calls it an abomination. Old people cannot even
go to the store in the large cities. Some one will mug them, and take
their money. Nudity, prostitution, and all sorts of crimes are taken
for granted as part of society today. In the large cities neighbors do
not even know each other. They are so afraid, they lock themselves in
their houses. Some even put bars on their windows and doors for extra 
safety. Love for family and friends has truly waxed cold. Everyone is 
in love with himself. The children are being taught they are the center of everything, and suicide among young children is rampant. People need God to focus their lives on.  Without God, there is no hope.

     We see the words "he that shall endure until the end". You see,
Unlike what some ministers would have you believe, there is a terrible
time of testing. Many ministers have their congregations believing
that there will not be problems, if you have your life right with God.
What about verse 13, that said you must endure to the end, if you are
to be saved? God will bless His own, and if you pray and believe, He
will help you through the rough times; but trials and tribulations
come to all of us. How we handle the problems is what really counts.
When the going gets rough, do we run or stand? Endure does not mean
good times. Endure means hang on in the face of adversity. If we plan
to be saved, that seems to be our lot. No one knows for sure how soon
the end of this struggle will be. Our job is to hang on and give it
everything we have. God will help us, if we will resist the enemy.
Don't give in. Stay with it. the rewards are great.

     Matthew 24:14 "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached
in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the
end come."

     The good news (gospel) of Jesus Christ is now being preached
throughout the world. Satellite television has carried the message
around the world. In the  remote areas that do not have television,
God has sent missionaries. Everyone has an opportunity to either
accept or reject Jesus as his Saviour. If there is one sign more than
all others, I believe this is it. The end of the Gentile age is near.
The "end" spoken of here, is the end of the age.

     Matthew 24:15 "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of
desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place,
(whoso readeth, let him understand:)" Matthew 24:16 "Then let them
which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:"

     The "abomination", spoken of here, has to do with the evil one who
is set up in the temple in the end days. Daniel 11, verses 36 and
37 spoke of this abominable one.  Daniel 11:36 "And the king shall do
according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself
above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of
gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that
is determined shall be done." Daniel 11:37 "Neither shall he regard
the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god:
for he shall magnify himself above all."

     The "abomination", or the abominable one, truly will set himself
up in place  of God, in the same place where the temple of God sat.
There is a Temple sitting there today that is a Moslem temple.
Somehow, sometime, in the future, this temple will be destroyed, and
the temple of the true God will be restored. To say specifically what
this exact abomination of desolation is would be presumptuous. It
appears to be when the antichrist sets himself up as God at about the
middle of the tribulation period, and requires all to bow to him
instead of God.  In chapter 12 of Daniel, we read about when this will
happen.  Daniel 12:6 "And [one] said to the man clothed in linen,
which [was] upon the waters of the river, How long [shall it be to]
the end of these wonders?" Daniel 12:7 "And I heard the man clothed in
linen, which [was] upon the waters of the river, when he held up his
right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth
for ever that [it shall be] for a time, times, and an half; and when
he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people,
all these [things] shall be finished."

     The one clothed in linen would be the High Priest of God. It is
pretty obvious that this "time, times, and half" means three and one
half years. My own personal belief is that the Christians will be here
on this earth for three and one half years of the tribulation period.
I believe just before the wrath of God occurs, the Christians will be
carried away into heaven to meet Jesus in the clouds. Just as the
children of Isreal had a time of testing, I believe we, Christians, will
be tested to see if we truly "believe", in the face of hardships.
These Israelites, who are in Judaea, should flee the city to avoid
being forced to bow down to the antichrist.

     Matthew 24:17 "Let him which is on the housetop not come down to
take any thing out of his house:"  Matthew 24:18 "Neither let him
which is in the field return back to take his clothes."

     This reminds us of when Lot's wife was told not to look back.
They will be leaving out in such a hurry, that there will be no time
for going back and taking care of things at home. These on the housetops,
were, probably, up there resting. One stairway went back into the house,
but they were warned not to do that, but rather to immediately leave the
city. Those in the field, were not to return for personal items, but were 
to flee for their lives. This is an emergency situation, probably, like it would be in the large cities, if a bomb alert were to go off. The main idea,
is to get away as fast as they can, not worrying about that left behind.

     Matthew 24:19 "And woe unto them that are with child, and to them
that give suck in those days!"

     The sad thing about mothers (pregnant or carrying a small child)
or children is that they cannot scurry out of town as fast. Wars are 
very hard on women and children.

     Matthew 24:20 "But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter,
neither on the sabbath day:"

     Jesus told them, here, to pray so that God will see that this
time will not be in the winter, when ice is everywhere making it
difficult to travel, and being very cold to camp out. These Jews will
not go but just a few steps on the Sabbath. Not nearly far enough to
get them out of danger. When they pray, they need to ask God for this
flight not to fall on the Sabbath. At the best of conditions, this
will not be a fun flight.

     Matthew 24:21 "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was
not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall
be."

     In this verse, you can easily see why the rush to get out. If
this was the siege that took place when Jerusalem fell to the Romans,
then close to a million were estimated to die. I tend to believe that
this Scripture was not only for that terrible time, but is, also,
speaking of another terrible time that will come when the antichrist
decides to rule.  Many Scriptures have more than one prophecy in them,
and I believe, that is the case here.  This great siege, I believe,
occurs just about the time Christians are caught away into heaven.

     Matthew 24:22 "And except those days should be shortened, there
should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be
shortened."

     These "elect" had been praying for Jerusalem and her people, and
God heard their prayers and answered. Personally, I believe Christians
are the elect of God. Jews are the chosen. God makes a way out for his
own. This will be no exception. God will not allow total annihilation;
He will always save a remnant.

     Matthew 24:23 "Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here [is]
Christ, or there; believe [it] not." Matthew 24:24 "For there shall
arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs
and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive
the very elect."

     Here, this is definitely speaking of the Christians. The Bible
does not fall in chronological order, on purpose. These false christs
are all around us today. Some of them are openly proclaiming to be
Christ, others are just subtly suggesting that they are. We had a man
that come to Church in the Wildwood one night and asked me why I did
not believe that he was Christ. He did not appear in the eastern sky,
so we knew without doubt that he was not Him. False prophets are doing
even more damage to the Christians. At least, if someone proclaims he
is Christ, those of us that know the Scriptures recognize right off
that he is not. False prophets are another thing, they come in with a
message so close to the truth, and many times doing miracles.  The only
way you can tell the difference is to listen carefully to every word,
and check it out with the Bible. Any message that does not elevate the
name of Jesus is a suspect right off. God the Father is to be
reverenced. Christians must be a peculiar, separated people. You might
ask, separated from what? The answer is, "the world and its ways". As
I have said before, if it pleases the flesh, there is something wrong
with it, generally. God will not be mocked. He wants His people holy
and righteous (without spot or wrinkle). We cannot have one foot in
earth and the other foot in heaven. We have to make up our minds who we
will follow, God or Satan. The only way that it is not possible to
deceive the very elect is, because they have studied and understood
(through the Holy Spirit) the Scriptures. Just one wrong word will
trigger a red flag in their brains. Pharaoh's magicians could do signs
and wonders. Just be careful and check out everything with the Bible.

     Next lesson will begin in Matthew in 24:25.






























                        Matthew 48 Questions`

1.  Why shall the love of many wax cold?
2.  Who shall be saved?
3.  How does this describe our churches of today?
4.  What percent of television is not fit to watch?
5.  What is bad about the programs that try to teach good moral
    principles, sometimes?
6.  What are our children being taught about homosexuality?
7.  Why has love for others grown cold?
8,  What should we focus our lives on?
9.  What must we do in verse 13 to be saved?
10. What is our duty toward other Christians?
11. What must happen before the end comes?
12. What does gospel mean?
13. The one sign, more than all the rest, that we are near the end, is
    what?
14. Where does Jesus say this "abomination" is spoken of in the Old
    Testament?
15. What is this abomination?
16. This "abominable" has one statement made of him that indicates he
    has no involvement with women, what is it?
17. The temple sitting in the Holy Place today, is what?
18. What will happen to this temple?
19. When does the  "abomination" show itself?
20. What does the man clothed in linen indicate?
21. What does the time, times, and a half indicate?
22. When does the author believe the Christians shall be caught away
    into heaven?
23. Why will the Israelites in Judaea need to flee?
24. Verses 17 and 18 remind us of what other flight?
25. In verse 19, what is the "woe" spoken?
26. Jesus told them to pray to God that their flight would not be in
    __________ or on the __________.
27. How is this tribulation described?
28. For whose sake will the days be shortened?
29. If someone told you that Christ is somewhere you have to go
    looking for, what should you tell them?
30. Even more dangerous than the false christs are whom?
31. Why are they most dangerous?
32. How is the only way we can tell the difference?
33. What kind of a message is a suspect right off?
34. In what two conditions, does God want His people?
35. Why can the very "elect" not be easily fooled?