Escape the Beginning

 

              

Luke 21: 34 And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. 

35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. 

36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. 

 

 What we see from the context here in Luke 21 is that there is a day coming upon the entire earth which will be like a snare. A snare is set without any sign or indication of its presence; thus unawares as the text states. (Prv.1:17, 7:23, Ecc.7:12, Psa.142:3) This is the “hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” (Rev.3:10) The entire world will be overtaken by this sudden snare and sudden destruction, which is marked by the sudden appearing of the Son of Man and a conditional escaping all those things listed by those that are worthy to stand before him. (Mk.13:36-7) “Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation... Behold, I come quickly”. (Rev.3:10-11) 

The admonition to watch is to watch for Christ himself to appear. (Mt.24:42-3, 50, 25:13, Mk.13:33-7, Lk.12:37-48, 21:36, Phil.3:20, 1 Thes.5:6, Tit.2:13, 1 Pt.4:7, 2 Pt.3:12, 1 Jn.2:28, Rv.3:3, 16:15) 

“That day” will include “all these things that shall come to pass”, which means the beginning of sorrows or the things that “must first come to pass”. (Lk.21:9, Mt.24:6-8, Mk.13:7-9) “That day” also includes the rest of “all these things” listed in the sermon. (Mt.24:33-4, Mk.13:30,32-3, Lk.21:36) And 2 Peter 3:7-14 reveals that this day of the Lord which will so come as a thief in the night will include not just the last week of Daniel’s prophecy (that day- Zech 12:3-4,8,9,11,13:1-2,14:3-4,8-9), but that day is as a thousand years including heaven and earth passing away a thousand years later. Likewise the resurrection of the just and the unjust are separated by 1000 years but are spoken of as occurring "in the last day". (Rev.20:4,5:11-12, Jn.6:39-40, 44, 54, 11:24, 12:48, 5:28-9) Paul shows according to the wisdom given unto him that the day of the Lord coming as a thief is without “the times and the seasons” even knowable, which is generally how thieves show up in the night; without signs or indications. (1 Thes.5:1-3) (See also notes on #1 here.) 

When we compare Mark and Matthew’s accounts (Mk.13, Mt.24) about watching for the Son of Man, Jesus gave warning to watch for his sudden coming, and that he himself in the days of his flesh did not know when he would return. It could be as in any watch of the night, but that no man could know. (Mk.13:32-7) Matthew recalls that the sudden appearing will be like a thief, without any warnings or indications, as our afore mentioned snare. (Mt.24:42-51) “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” “Watch ye therefore... Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.” He spake this to all. (Mk.13:37) Paul said that they would think they are in peace and safety before the sudden destruction comes. (1 Thes.5:1-3) 

This time is contrasted in that the temptation of the ‘hearts being overcharged with the cares of this life’ (Lk.21:34), is different than the “hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth”. (Lk.21:26) These two contrasting types of temptations mark different times & seasons mentioned in the Olivet discourse. As Belshazzar before and after the handwriting on the wall. (Dan.5:1-6) Also represented in the parable of the sower: 

“And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.” Mk.4:19 

“Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.” Mt.13:21

 

The whole earth will be relatively characterized by the cares of this world as it was before the flood, “eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage” (Mt.24:37-9), “they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded”. (Lk. 17:26-30) Which would not be the conditions describing the end of the 70th week with tribulation and persecution. Those days are described here: 

Dan.12:1 “...there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time:”  

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. v29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: 

Mark 13:19 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. v24 But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, 

Luke 21:25-26 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 

Acts 2:19-20 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: 

 

But Daniels 70th week and the restoration of the kingdom to Israel to finish their transgression was to begin without any knowable signs of the times of seasons. (Act.1:6-7) And it is at hand. (1 Pt.4:7, Rev.1:1,3,22:10) The signs of the times and seasons listed in the Olivet discourse will obviously follow a period before any discernible times or seasons. Therefore, it will come a thief in the night (a snare) exactly as Paul stated. (1 Thes.5:1-3) The time of Jacob’s trouble would begin suddenly after a period of relative normalcy. (Jer.30:6-9) If you can discern the face of the sky, then you can discern the signs of those times. (Mt.16:3) 

Before the tribulation of those days, and the beginning of sorrows “there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.” (2 Pt.3:1) “For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” (1 Thes.5:3) This sudden destruction is as the flood of Noah or the fire and brimstone of Lot. (Lk.17:26-8, Matt. 24:37-38) There will be a sudden trigger of the beginning of sorrows which is a woman with travail having sorrow. (1 Thes.5:3, Jer.30:5-7, 13:21, Isa.13:8, Jn.16:21) Peace is suddenly taken from the earth (Rev.6:3-4) when the man of sin is revealed the son of perdition who by peace shall destroy many. (Rev.6:1-2, Dan.8:23-5) For that which witholdeth is taken out of the way.  

Counter claims response 

But what if someone posed an alternative interpretation of escaping as to bear up under or endure? (1 Cor.10:13) And further that to be found worthy is to be filled with the knowledge of God’s will as you endure the tribulation. (Col.1:9-10) So, they interpret Lk.21:36 as ‘Watch and pray for God’s will so you will walk worthy of the Lord and bear up under and endure all the tribulation and stand before Christ at his return to the earth.’  

The first problem with that interpretation is that the promise is conditional and includes standing before the Son of man. When the Son of man returns to the earth there will be an unconditional standing before him of all nations. (Mt.25:31-2) But this is a conditional promise of watching for him to appear suddenly to stand before him and escape all the things listed. 

 Secondly it creates confusion as to the nature of escaping all these things. If you die in the beginning of sorrows, did you escape all? Or if you die towards the end of all these things, do you escape all? Or if you live through the entirety, did you escape all? You escape if you liveor you escape if you die. Holding this interpretation, you would have to say it means all the above.

Another problem is that if you think this passage teaches that if you are found worthy you will survive and endure to the end of the tribulation, then this makes those who die as faithful martyrs unworthy of this promise. (Rev.2:10, 6:9-11, 7:9-17, 12:11, 13:7, 14:12-13) Some say escape means flee as in verse 21. But that would mean escaping one of the things that come to pass to people in Jerusalem, where the text says all these things that come to pass, to all that dwell upon the whole earth. (Zeph.2:3, Rev.3:10) Now immediately it will be insisted that escaping can mean enduring unto death. I have not found escaping used in terms of dying in scripture but rather living on through various troubling situations and snares. But it will be contended, that some overcame the beast unto death  and thus escape means overcome (Rev.12:11- Although here they overcome by the blood and their word). And although I didn’t locate overcome and escape together on any lists of synonyms maybe you could make an overlap on the weaker side of the two meanings if you stretch it. Perhaps you could even apply an example from Dan.3:17 “God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not...”. Could this be what Jesus meant? ‘If you are found worthy you will escape from the fiery trials and from the beast, but if not... we’ll love not our lives unto the death and thus escape.’ Escape would mean whatever happens to those worthy. Or perhaps this tautology, if you are found worthy you will either live or die worthily. That seems to stretch it past what is stated. We won't know if found worthy you will endure (escape) to the end of your faith (die) or the end of the world (context).

 Well, to arrive at that conclusion you would need to disconnect Jesus’ sudden appearing from the escaping of all those things. His appearance wouldn’t be sudden if you knew there were all those things yet to occur for you to endure. And Jesus wants his people to know that he is coming without signs (1 Thes.5:1-3) quickly, (Mk.13:36, Rev.1:1,3,2:5,16,3:3,11,16:15,22:6,7,10,12,20) so that we watch for him. (Mt.24:42-3, 50, 25:13, Mk.13:33-7, Lk.12:37-48, 21:36, Phil.3:20, 1 Thes.5:6, Tit.2:13, 1 Pt.4:7, 2 Pt.3:12, 1 Jn.2:28, Rv.3:3, 16:15) And he will take up to the Father’s house in heaven. (Jn.14:1-3, 1 Thes.4:16-7) 

If they say it means those who are found worthy to endure to the end, do endure to the end, we note that there will be those who are not worthy and also endure to the end and stand before the Son of man when he gathers the sheep and the goats and removes the rebels which have not on a wedding garment and no oil in their lamps. (Ezek.20:34-8, Mt.22:11-13, 25:10-12,19,26,30,32,41, Lk.19:27) 

Taking the accounts of the Olivet discourse found in the synoptic gospels together, we have to conclude Jesus will have an appearing that is like a thief and without indication. Since the revelation of the church was not fully unveiled yet until the apostle to the Gentiles is raised up we do not see the explicit expounding of the rapture of the church here. Rather we see what Jesus taught here can only be properly understood with the fuller revelation of this mystery later given by his Spirit. 

 

Rev.22:20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

 Works Meet For Repentance

  2 Cor 10:10-11 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of... For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter. 

 

The question we want to consider today is regarding ‘works of repentance’. Some people claim that to add repentance to the gospel message is to add works to salvation and is anathematized by scripture as another gospel. Others claim to add repentance to the gospel message is to add works to salvation and therefore salvation is in fact by our works! Both err in either self-righteousness or lasciviousness. (These Laodicean days people think Christians have liberty to sin.)  

Jesus said... I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Mt.9:13) and again, I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. (Luke 13:3,5) After his resurrection he instructed the apostles when speaking of that ‘great salvation’ (Heb.2:3) “that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.” (Lk.24:47) Indeed “goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance” (Rom.2:4) Thus, repentance is necessary in order that one not perish in their sins but be converted.  

But it is indeed a fact that we are justified by faith without works as well. (Rom.3:28,4:5,5:1, Gal.2:16,3:11,24, etc.) So, how are we to understand scriptures which state that we are to “Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance”? (Matt. 3:8) This can’t be brushed into a hyper-dispensational resolution to the Jews, for Paul “shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance.” Acts 26:20 And again, Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Acts 20:21 And since the gospel was to be preached in all the world to every creature, (Mk.16:15) God “now commandeth all men every where to repent”. (Acts 17:30) “Repent ye therefore, and be converted...” Acts 3:19 

Works suitable or meet for repentance are instructed first by the Lord and then confirmed unto us by them that heard him. But the fruit of repentance must be preceded by a root. Repentance is defined in scripture as to “be persuaded”. Lk.16: 29-31 “Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.” Once a person is persuaded in their mind of a thing their actions will likewise change. Fruit or works come forth that are suitable for repentance or commensurate to or proportionate with their sin. We naturally are suspect when someone’s grief seems to be inadequate to their loss or pain. Police investigators will suspect a person of foul play whose loved one has been killed when they do not seem to be grieving in a manner that would be natural. In scripture we see various reactions indicating remorse and repentance. We see people in scripture who have godly sorrow and heaviness, abhor and loathe themselves in shame, confessing their sins and praying for mercy and forgiveness. 

Job 42:6 Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. 

Jeremiah 31:19 Surely after that I was turned, I repented; and after that I was instructed, I smote upon my thigh: I was ashamed, yea, even confounded, because I did bear the reproach of my youth. 

Ezek.36:31 Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall lothe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities and for your abominations.  

Acts 8:22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee. 

We are to follow the Lord’s pattern with our brethren regarding repentance and forgiveness. 

Lk.17:3-4 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him. (As the Lord forgives us- Mt.6:14-5, 18:35) 

Prv.28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. Confessing sin is also fruit worthy of repentance- Mt.3:6, Mk.1:5, 1 Jn.1:9, Lev.5:5. 

Ezekiel 14:6 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations. 

Mark 1:4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. V15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. 

Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

Revelation 2:5 Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. 

 

Notice persuasion is in the mind- and repenting is being persuaded: Rom.14:5 Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind.  Luke 16:30-1 ... they will repent. And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. Act 19:26 …Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:  Ezek.14:6 …Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.  Ezek.18:30 …Repent, and turn yourselves from all your transgressions; so iniquity shall not be your ruin.v27 "when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed", v28 "he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die." v31 "Cast away from you all your transgressions, whereby ye have transgressed" 

 

Repentance is a casting down where faith is a rebuilding. 

Matt. 21:29 He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. v32 and ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him.  

Ac. 11:18 ... saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. 

2 Timothy 2:25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;  

In figure or in type, John the Baptist preceded Jesus Christ just like repentance precedes faith:  Acts 19:4 Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. 

Baptism was a fruit or work of repentance. It was something they did by faith to indicate that they believe God’s counsel declaring He is right. Lk. 7:29-30 And all the people that heard him, and the publicans, justified God, being baptized with the baptism of John. But the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves, being not baptized of him.  

Christians believe the gospel of Jesus Christ after repenting (being persuaded) of their rebellion and are born again. That is, they receive the life of God by His Spirit. (Ac.8:35-8, 1 Jn.4:15, 5:1) They then are baptized by faith to demonstrate their repentance toward God and their faith towards the Lord Jesus Christ. Their justification and new birth are in a moment in the heart when it turns to the Lord in faith. Faith is a simple act of the will in response to the will of the Spirit of God. A union of wills. Faith in your heart follows being persuaded in your mind of the truth of God (repentance). Fruits are then manifested from these roots. 

 

Daniel 7:9-15

 

Dan.7:9 I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. 

10 A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened. 

11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. 

12 As concerning the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away: yet their lives were prolonged for a season and time. 

13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 

14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed. 

15 I Daniel was grieved in my spirit in the midst of my body, and the visions of my head troubled me. 

 

If you saw the picture and came thinking we are studying the 4 beasts here, I apologize. I only used the picture because I liked it. Although he does mention the beasts in v11-2. So, I’ll just throw this out here that they are not the same kingdoms as Daniel 2 in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream since they are present when Christ returns. Another problem with making them the same is verse 1 “In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon”, Daniel has the vision after which “four great beasts came up from the sea” v3. Along with v17 “These great beasts, which are four, are four kings, which shall arise out of the earth.” Indicating they arise after Babylon thus cannot be Babylon. 

 

But to our study of 7:9-15 ... 

The first thing about the passage we must note is that this is received by Daniel in night visions which is a dream. (Job 33:15, Isa.29:7) The reason we note this is to indicate that an interpretation is required as dreams are by design not perspicuous (Num.12:6-8). The next thing to consider is that Daniels revelation was not to be understood until the revelation of Jesus when knowledge shall be increased. (Dan.12:4, Rev.22:10) Therefore, the New Testament must interpret the passage. We do not use this passage as a template to organize other passages, but we organize this vision by New Testament revelation. 

As this is the case, we realize that his visions are a combination that are not chronological in each detail.  For example, when it states in v13 “one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven” it would be understood as coming from heaven to earth when evaluated in the New Testament. This is how Jesus interpreted the passage in Matt.26:64 (as Mk.14:62). “Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” 24:30 “And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” Again in Rev.1:7 “Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.” 

Thus, to interpret the passage of his coming in the clouds as Christ’s ascension into heaven (in contrast to Jesus’ interpretation) will result in confusion (as post or a-millennialism). So, “and came to the Ancient of days” does not mean here ‘THEN came to the Ancient of days’ chronologically but ‘in addition’ or ‘also’. The “and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him” would be interpreted in Revelation 5:1-7 as pre-70th week of Daniel 9 when this same Son of man opens the seals and seals up the vision and prophecy.  

Likewise, will the judgment being set and the beasts lives prolonged not make sense until you see this as a millennial reign on the earth (Dan7:14, 27). The beast being slain in v11, 26 matches Rev.19:20, premillennial- Rv.20:10. The other beasts lives prolonged would indicate they go alive into the reign of the Son of God upon the throne of David, fulfilling Psalm 2:8-12, Rev.20:1-6, Zech.14:16-19, Isa.2:1-4, 11:4-10, Isa.60. 

This will have v9-10 as the gathering of the nations and the 1st resurrection. So, v14 fits with v9-10 and elaborates on Dan.2:44. Consider Matt.25:31-2 “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats”. The resurrected saints live and reign with Christ over the nations for the millennium. (Rev.20:4-6, 2:26-7, Dan.7:27,14) 

Because all judgment is given to the Son (Jn.5:22,27, Ac.17:31, Rom.2:16), we see him sitting as the Ancient of days (v9) in the glory of the Father. (Jn.17:5, Rev.1:13-17, Mt.16:27, Mk.8:38, Lk.9:26) A foreshadowing of Rev.21:23 “the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof”. 

Now, to those who think we are cutting and splicing arbitrarily here, consider another prophetic utterance in Psalms. (And gaps here.) We can see the New Testament rightly dividing Psalm 69, which contains explicit references to Christ while also containing references explicitly not to Christ. Note v4-5 “They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of mine head: they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away. O God, thou knowest my foolishness; and my sins are not hid from thee.” Verse 4 is quoted by Christ in John 15:25 as a reference to Himself. However, verse 5 cannot be a reference to Christ as he “did no sin”, was “without sin”, and “cannot sin”. (1 Pt.2:22, Heb.4:15, 1 Jn.3:9) Psa.69 continues with multiple references to Jesus. Verse 9a is quoted in Jn.2:17 and 9b is quoted in Rom.15:3 both referencing Jesus. Likewise verse 21 is quoted in Mt.27:34. We see this division applied in 2 Sam.7:13-4 where Christ is referenced followed by Solomon being indicated. “He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men”. Where the LORD says “I will be his father, and he shall be my son” we see this quoted in Heb.1:5 speaking of Jesus again. But the latter part of v14 is not Christ for the same reason as the Psalm. 

What think ye?