Continued from Q 106; and an article for Q 187 follows on.

 

 

 

Jerusalem Surrounded

 

Jerusalem will be ‘surrounded’ twice (at least) in the end time. This is part of the critical information needed to have a clear understanding of the end time. The first physical event of the end time is the fall of Babylon. If you are not aware of who that is then the articles 
Who is Babylon and  When Does Babylon Fall  are essential reading.

When the world’s most powerful military nation collapses and the world’s finances face oblivion the status quo amongst the nations changes dramatically. Judah (geographic Israel) is currently completely dependant on America for military support. With the USA no longer there Israel is completely defenseless. Her Middle Eastern neighbours immediately take advantage of the situation.

In Hosea 5:5,7 we see that Israel and Ephraim and Judah, three distinct and separate nations fall within one month of each other. This is a domino effect caused by the collapse of the USA. The vacuum created by the fall of Babylon is what causes the whole world to suddenly erupt into world war; the first four seals.
Europe with a separate currency somehow manages to survive largely due to the abilities of one individual (the beast) to motivate a drastic and very speedy survival plan.

Judah is defeated and carried away as captives amongst the surrounding nations. That leaves the Arabs in control of the entire Middle East, including Jerusalem.
This is now in the end time during the first three and a half years, what Christ describes as the ‘tribulation of those days’. Towards the end of the first three and a half years the Moslem world makes a ‘push’ at the king of the North. This more than likely will be as a result of the forced religious changes demanded of all subjects within the realm of the beast. If you disagree with his demands there is no way of supporting yourself. (No ‘mark’ means no ability to buy or sell). Once the beast hints or suggests that he is God, the Moslem world will seek to prove otherwise. An assassination attempt is made on the beast and he is ‘wounded to death’.

And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death; and his deadly wound was healed: and all the world wondered after the beast.  Rev 13:3
He ‘miraculously’ recovers. This spurs him on to declare he is in fact god and promptly invades the Middle East taking complete control. This includes Jerusalem where he commits the ‘abomination of desolation’ which is a direct challenge and insult to God.

This brings us back to the particular question ‘when will Jerusalem be surrounded’? On this occasion we are talking about Jerusalem (occupied by Arabs at the time) being surrounded by the European armies of the beast. Once the beast has committed the ‘abomination’ there will be forty-two months to elapse before Christ returns.
At this time, the mid point of the ‘week’, a lot of overlapping events occur. These include the resurrection, Satan being thrown down to earth, unbelievable ‘signs’ in the ‘sky’ and the whole world momentarily seeing Christ on His throne. The beast, now completely possessed by Satan takes advantage of the confusion and manages to use his ‘slight of hand’ to proclaim himself as god. Satan does not want to be the god of this world; he wants to destroy every trace of it. If Christ did not return before too long Satan would succeed.

 

Pray That Your Flight Is Not In Winter.

Matt 24:20

But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day:  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.

This verse has been an enigma. It asks more questions than gives answers, but if we have learnt anything from the bible, it is that everything right down to the last word is of significance and is there for a purpose.
Who is being referred to and why can they not flee on the Sabbath, what is the significance of mentioning winter?

Commentators don’t generally see much significance in this passage of scripture; Robertson’s Word Pictures is typical:

(χειμωνος, genitive of time, μηδε σαββατω, locative of time). In winter because of the rough weather. On a sabbath because some would hesitate to make such a journey on the sabbath.

 

To make a start at getting to the bottom of the issue first we will pick up all the relevant verses.

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:)  16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:  17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:  18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.  19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!  20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:  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.  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.   
Matt 24:15

But when ye shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing where it ought not, (let him that readeth understand,) then let them that be in Judæa flee to the mountains:  15 And let him that is on the housetop not go down into the house, neither enter therein, to take any thing out of his house:  16 And let him that is in the field not turn back again for to take up his garment.  17 But woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!  18 And pray ye that your flight be not in the winter.  19 For in those days shall be affliction, such as was not from the beginning of the creation which God created unto this time, neither shall be.   Mark 13:14

And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.  21 Then let them which are in Judæa flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto.  22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.  23 But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.  24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.    Luke 21:20

The main points we can summaries are:

This takes place when the ‘abomination of desolation’ occurs in Jerusalem.
It is only directed at those in Judea (Jerusalem in particular).
Particular emphasis is placed on not hesitating to leave.
Emphasis is placed on those that are pregnant or with very young children.
It is immediately before the great tribulation.
Whoever these people are ‘wrath comes on them’ (Luke).
They are to pray that their flight is not in winter or on a Sabbath.

Timing is a critical issue when it comes to sorting the detail when Christ returns, lets see how this may help in this case.

The reference to Daniel in Matthew is drawing attention to when the beast takes Jerusalem and commits the abomination of desolation:

And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.    Dan 9:27

Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.     2 Thessalonians 2:4

Also we can see that the passages are applicable immediately prior to the great tribulation.
We can pin point the timing of these warnings to right in the middle of the end time, three and a half years after it all began and three and a half years before Christ returns.
Who is in Jerusalem at this time? At the very beginning of the overall ‘day of the Lord’; Babylon, the worlds richest nation fell. Along with the house of Joseph, Judah fell as well within one month of each other.

And the pride of Israel doth testify to his face: therefore shall Israel and Ephraim fall in their iniquity; Judah also shall fall with them. 6 They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them. 7 They have dealt treacherously against the LORD: for they have begotten strange children: now shall a month devour them with their portions.  Hosea 5:5,7

There are no Jews left in Judea after its fall.

Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city, to the pot whose scum is therein, and whose scum is not gone out of it! bring it out piece by piece; let no lot fall upon it.  7 For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon the top of a rock; she poured it not upon the ground, to cover it with dust;  8 That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance; I have set her blood upon the top of a rock, that it should not be covered.  9 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the bloody city! I will even make the pile for fire great.  10 Heap on wood, kindle the fire, consume the flesh, and spice it well, and let the bones be burned.  11 Then set it empty upon the coals thereof, that the brass of it may be hot, and may burn, and that the filthiness of it may be molten in it, that the scum of it may be consumed.  12 She hath wearied herself with lies, and her great scum went not forth out of her: her scum shall be in the fire.  13 In thy filthiness is lewdness: because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purged, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee.  14 I the LORD have spoken it: it shall come to pass, and I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent; according to thy ways, and according to thy doings, shall they judge thee, saith the Lord GOD.    Ezek 24:6

Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.  11 This city shall not be your caldron, neither shall ye be the flesh in the midst thereof; but I will judge you in the border of Israel:  12 And ye shall know that I am the LORD: for ye have not walked in my statutes, neither executed my judgments, but have done after the manners of the heathen that are round about you.   Ezek 11:10

This passage clearly means the Jews are not to think themselves safe in Jerusalem. God will force them out and deal with them (heading into captivity) at the borders of Judea. All this occurs very early in the end time proceedings.

However from the context of the Matt, Luke and Mark verses it is clear it is not referring to the Jews of the land; the context is directed at Church members:

And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death.  17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake.  18 But there shall not an hair of your head perish.  19 In your patience possess ye your souls.  20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed by armies … Luke 21:16

The subject of the whole chapter is information relevant to the Churches. However being a member of one of the Churches being referred to does not mean that all will be resurrected as first fruits as is made very clear in the messages to the Churches in the early chapters of Revelation. Many members are told unless they repent, correct themselves and overcome, they will not be acceptable.

If Jerusalem has been invaded and is now occupied by the neighbouring Arab states, who are these ‘Sabbath’ keepers in Jerusalem?

First what is the significance of the Sabbath and winter in this context? There is no reason at all not to flee on the Sabbath, if one can rescue an ox or other animal on the Sabbath then saving a human life especially ones own would be more than acceptable. Christ Himself ‘escaped’ on a Sabbath in Nazareth when they wanted to throw Him off a cliff. (Luke 4:28).

If Israel were immobilised on the Sabbath during emergencies Nebuchadnezzar would have had his own Sabbath commandments: ‘rest six days and attack Israel on the seventh’.
If Arabs are the ones in control of Judea there would be no problems in travelling, but for any one that has been to Israel lately it is plain there is no problem travelling in any case. It should be remembered that almost half the population of Jerusalem is non-Jewish and work carries on to a large extent as it does in most cities.
The Sabbath is not the issue.

What about winter? To the church, the beginning of the end time will be obvious right from day one, not before, but once it has started. From that moment it is easy to calculate when three and a half years is up. They will know in advance what season it will be at the mid way point of the end time. No need to pray about it. Apart from that, the time after the flight from Jerusalem is the great tribulation, which is the worst time ever in the earth’s history. Winter or not it makes no difference, it will still be unbearable.
Winter is not the issue.

 

“And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days”!

This statement really does have significance. This point is given emphasis in all three chapters. Once again, think carefully about the timing.
The people being spoken to are people that (according to a literal reading) fully recognise the end time situation, they are to pray in advance their flight will not occur in winter, i.e. they know well beforehand that they will have to flee from Jerusalem, if that were so, why would they stay in the first place? If they are to pray in advance for their flight not to be in winter, knowing they are to suddenly flee why do they need such strong urging to leave quickly when the beast and all his troops are there! They know what that means.

All sorts of contradictions are starting to pop up.

The answer is to do with the pregnant women. When the beast arrives in Jerusalem the end time has been underway for three and a half years. The world has undergone stunning reversals of fortune. War has engulfed the world; thousands of millions of people have died from the effects of starvation and disease in the wake of these wars. The great tribulation is on the doorstep; this is positively the one time in all history one should not get pregnant. If we were considering just a few isolated instances it would not be mentioned but this is of a scale that Christ deems it necessary to refer to and that is because He particularly wants to make a point. In times of great stress it is much more unlikely that women will become pregnant in the normal course of events than in peaceful times. Under the circumstances these people went to some trouble to get pregnant; in fact they deliberately got pregnant.
Why?
These people in Jerusalem fully know the circumstances of the times. They specially came to Jerusalem after the Arab nations took control, they are not Jews but they are Sabbath keepers and Christ is addressing them as potential first fruits. They knew the beast was coming, that is, they understood what the end time was about, however they have made one fatal presumption. They were absolutely and positively certain beyond any shadow of doubt that they would be ‘raptured’ in Jerusalem. So sure – so presumptuous – were they of being God’s special people they thought ‘why not add some extra members’ never thinking for one moment that they may not be God’s special people.

This completely contradictory nonsensical biblical passage is a very powerful message Christ delivers in the form of a stinging indictment against a self-righteous church.

Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:  18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.  19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.   Rev 3:17.

These people will be rebuked and chastened, as will many others in all the Churches; but God still loves them and they still can be a special people to God but not as first fruits.
But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.     Luke 21:23

They will now have to face the great tribulation and with the beast right on their tails.

What are we to make out of these contradictory statements? What is the lesson to be learnt from this passage? What is the point Christ is making?

From the vantage of hindsight this group in Jerusalem will be able to recognise themselves and take the necessary action. Christ’s words will have devastating effect as they realise the terrible blunder they made. They were not the only ones to do so.

 

This whole scenario is a repeat of the warning to an earlier group that also were certain they would be chosen to be immediately resurrected. They were expecting the ‘rapture’ at the very beginning of the ‘day of the Lord'. On the realization that Christ was coming after the Revelation 14 Angel’s message went to the whole world, they said ‘peace and safety’. In their view their troubles were over, they had deserved to be ‘chosen’ and ‘whisked’ away while the rest of the world faced all the music. Sudden destruction came upon them with national defeat and captivity being the reality.

Even with that example this group that made it to Jerusalem were supremely arrogant in that they have had far more time to really understand what is going on.
For three and a half years the true servants of Christ have been working to their limit explaining all the exact detail of Christ’s return. All world events unfolded precisely as stated. A battle to the end has been taking place in Europe against the beast (they loved not their lives unto death, Rev 12:11). Miracles have been performed to prove that they are speaking on God’s behalf. Despite all this, despite the appalling state of the world situation these people in Jerusalem are so sure of themselves, so arrogant in their self-righteousness, so dismissive of all others that are giving their lives for Christ; so sure they will be resurrected imminently; they are producing more children!

Now we can see why Christ resorts to what in effect is pure sarcasm to straighten these people up.
Are there other examples of Christ using this kind of strong language? Yes, lots.

These words are being spoken to God’s own people.

Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah.  11 To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. 12 When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?  13 Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting.  14 Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them.  15 And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood.         Isa 1:10

 

So she discovered her whoredoms, and discovered her nakedness: then my mind was alienated from her, like as my mind was alienated from her sister.  19 Yet she multiplied her whoredoms, in calling to remembrance the days of her youth, wherein she had played the harlot in the land of Egypt.  20 For she doted upon their paramours, whose flesh is as the flesh of asses, and whose issue is like the issue of horses.  21 Thus thou calledst to remembrance the lewdness of thy youth, in bruising thy teats by the Egyptians for the paps of thy youth.    Ezek 23:18

There are many more examples of some very strong language. God does not pull any punches when describing the sins of His people. However there is always a way out:

Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;  17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.  18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.  19 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:  20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.     Isa 1:16

As a side note, in the Ezek 23 chapter in verse 8 and 27-28, Israel and Judah are described as being ‘Egypt’ or having ‘Egypt’ in them, which God is going to remove out of their system. Being an 'Egyptian' is the equivalent of Israel being Babylon.

Conclusion

Christ is being derisive, sarcastic and cutting to the bone in these Matt, Mark and Luke verses. Such is their level of arrogance Christ is virtually saying ‘you can keep the Sabbath all you like, it will not save you’. ‘You think that by praying to Me I will change the time of the season just for you’ (so it will not be in winter). That is very sarcastic because this group have no conception of fleeing anywhere, and would not have remotely thought of praying about that. (As mentioned, if they knew they were going to flee there would be little point in staying in the first place).

These people are in Jerusalem waiting for a ‘rapture’ probably very close to the Mt of Olives. They thought of no one else but themselves. In His love and concern for this group Christ emphatically is warning them: ‘Do not wait under any circumstances, you are not going to be ‘raptured’, when you see the beast – get out, flee for your life’.