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Eschatology Issues CLIV

Question #1:
 Hello Professor, just wanted to wish you and yours a Happy Thanksgiving! 

2026 (Start of Tribulation\Great Tribulation)? 
Response #1:
Thanks! It was very nice. Hope the same was true for you.

Regarding 2026, this is always the date I come up with when I "crunch the data" (see the link). But as I always also say, this is an interpretation rather than a direct teaching of scripture. We know that there will be a seven year Tribulation before our Lord's return, but the "when" is something that can only be derived from putting various biblical data together. 

When I look at the political/cultural/socio-economic landscape, on the one hand, I don't see how things can go on as they are much longer, but on the other hand it doesn't appear as if the conditions are ripe for the rise of antichrist. Mind you, things COULD go on as is for a good long time more (the most obvious exception to the posited date being seven years further down the road if there is no Tribulational overlap; see the link); just as things COULD develop with a rapidity beyond our comprehension, especially once the Tribulation begins. So while we are right to pay attention to the signs of the times, the only clear guidance comes from the Bible.

In any case, my personal application is that we ought to keep on doing what the Lord wants us to do as long as He leaves us here, even if we knew we'd have a thousand years or just one more day (cf. Jas.4:13-17). So while it will be interesting to see how things develop in the new year, we all need to stick to our knitting (spiritual growth, progress and production) and let the Lord handle the big picture.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #2:
Hello Professor

I need help. I had my CT scan this morning and I thought I had this anxiety/panic thing figured out. I've been reading in several places what you have wrote to others and I have prayed about it. I stopped looking at it as though I was going to be tortured and was telling myself that this is a gift from God for me to have answers and potentially relief of pain. I want to be a good soldier. I can't even figure out why I'm panicking on this particular occasion. I have the endoscopy/colonoscopy this Tuesday and that is a bigger deal but not the CT. I walked in and physically gasp out loud and then grabbed my mouth. The lady asked me if I was fixing to sneeze, I shook my head no but couldn't speak for a few minutes. I shed a few tears and somewhat got hold of myself.

I did get some panic pills from my doctor recently after I read in one of your post that pills are okay as long as I perceive them to be from the Lord. Apparently, I forgot to take it as my granddaughter found the pill on the floor. But I need to be able to handle myself without those also. 

I was able to finally close my eyes and imagine New Jerusalem and so we did get the deed done. 

I confessed to the Lord my sin and asked for His help for me to overcome this. I feel bad that I keep failing Him and I will keep pressing on. Do you have any advice on the situation? Fear in general is an issue, but this area is my pressing concern.

In Him,
PS. __ is going through a similar issue. He has had multiple attacks, most of them while driving. His doctors are running tests as well. They want a sleep study and an MRI. I didn't think this type of thing was contagious. Do you think Satan is attacking us or is God trying to strengthen and test our faith? 
Response #2:
I understand your concern. I'm not crazy about going to the doctor either and I would be loath to have any of those scans or procedures unless it was absolutely necessary [n.b., several of these coming up for myself in the coming weeks; prayers appreciated!]. Confession: many years ago I went into the dental clinic for a root canal . . . and decided when waiting to "just have it pulled" instead. Turned out to be a big mistake I've regretted ever since. The Lord worked it all out, however. He always knows what is going to happen and He always has every single thing, big and small, in His hands. He loves us and He superintends us in every way.

Yes, I do think that the evil one and his followers are always harassing us. And when it comes to our health and scary invasive procedures, we are all vulnerable to lesser or greater degrees:
Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him, to destroy him without cause.” So Satan answered the LORD and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. “But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!”
Job 2:3-5 NKJV
Job continued to be faithful in spite of this, of course, but we know from the book of Job that this was the hardest thing he had to endure, even tougher than the loss of his children and his wealth. But again, God brought him through it, and the end was better than the beginning. So the bottom line is that we are allowed to trust the Lord absolutely whenever we face anything that shakes us up, handing ourselves over to the Holy Spirit and trusting that Jesus Christ is indeed working everything out together for good for us who love Him (Rom.8:28). And we don't need to agonize about having an immediate emotional reaction to such "bad news". Who would not! But we who have learned to trust the Lord always immediately rebound and rejoice as we place ourselves entirely in His hands. That is my own method and testimony – and I'm sure it is yours as well, my friend.

I've been and will continue to be praying for you and yours day by day.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #3:
Dear Professor

I think I'm understanding faith more and more thanks to you and your Hebrews study. Thank you for clearing some fuzzy areas up. Let me run some words by you to see if you think I have it. 

The flesh holds many things, one of them being our sin nature. We are cursed by God to die bodily except for the few that will be alive when he returns. We only really live spiritually by placing our trust in Jesus that he has made us spiritually clean and welcomes us into His family. The body is still under the curse. We are to hate the body (and our life here) even unto death. Only what we do for the Lord means a thing eternally. We are to learn, believe, apply, and help others do the same. 

At the same time, we do those things we have to deal with the opposition. Placing our faith in Him means believing what He has said in scripture and obeying Him. He may give us mental and physical pain, but we should never deny Him to get out of being tortured. I've seen shows and movies that portray torture and I doubt my ability to hold up under it considering the fact I panic over small things. When seeing the horrible ordeal Jesus went through, Peter denied Him. Why should I do any better? The Holy Spirit inside of me did not keep me silent the other day. Will He help me be calm if I am to experience some horrible things like Paul did. 

I am not counting the cost and wanting to back out. I'm just trying to face the truth. Paul did get to see visions that may have helped him endure. Are men just braver than women? 

I can't understand how Jesus just took all that He did when he could have destroyed them. I so worried I will fail Him and lose my salvation. Why does he want us to endure such physical pain to prove our faith? I want to go be with him before all the torture starts. Is that wrong of me to be such a wimp? We are supposed to be soldiers waiting for our next orders until He calls us home. Confident that He will get us through, even if by great suffering. Is that right?

In Jesus,
Response #3:
I think you have this about right.
(16) The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, (17) and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together [with Him].
Romans 8:16-17 NKJV

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
Philippians 4:6-7 NKJV

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.
Colossians 3:15
Suffering – of one kind or another – is indeed something that all Christians have to go through (link), but there is a reward for it that puts all our trouble down here into the shade (link).
Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us; if we are faithless, he remains faithful, for he cannot disown himself.
2nd Timothy 2:11-13 NIV
"Reigning" with the Lord, being part of His royal administration during the Millennium, is a wonderful reward that will fall to the lot of all believers (with those who have more to show for our time here having the higher positions). For those whose suffering has come at the hands of rulers and oppressors in this life, that is a very encouraging prospect (e.g., Rev.2:26-27).
In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
1st Peter 1:6-7 NIV
The above explains why we have to endure trouble and grief and pain in this life. We are an example to men and angels both of the power of the Spirit and the truth in those who really believe. The "refining" we endure makes us stronger, not weaker, in our faith, and proves that it was genuine. And the result is the salvation/deliverance/resurrection/reunion/reward which is our collective hope (1Pet.1:9).
"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."
John 14:27
Our Lord's command not to fear is not impossible. It is doable. It does require believing the truth of what He says here (and all truth), and leaning in to the Spirit's comfort and leadership. If we remember that we have the Spirit and that He is guiding us, if we remember that the Lord is right here with us, holding us by the hand, so to speak, if we remember that His perfect plan has already made complete provision for us in ever circumstance from eternity past and only waiting to be revealed, then we will be able to do whatever He wants us to do.
You have not suffered any testing beyond normal human [experience]. And God is faithful. He will not allow you to be tested beyond your capacity, but, along with the test, He will grant you the way out, so that you can bear up under it.
1st Corinthians 10:13
The above is true (link). We need to keep in mind that the Lord knows what we can handle and what we can't. So on the one hand, if we are asked to suffer through something, we need to have faith that it is possible and rely on Him and the resources He provides to get us through. On the other hand, it is VERY important not to torture ourselves with "what ifs?" If we see a situation or hear of a situation or imagine a situation we are sure we could NOT handle, then if we are right about that, it will NOT happen. 

We need to avoid defeating ourselves in our own minds before any such trouble arises. Just because we may have failed in the past or may have not lived up to our own expectations is no predictor of what will happen in the future (any more than past successes are: none of us can afford to "rest on our laurels"; we need to keep growing). 

We've been told, after all, NOT to worry about tomorrow: there is enough trouble to get through today (Matt.6:34). And you ARE getting through, even though I do understand that it is difficult. Scripture is filled with believers in difficult situations which – to them at the time – seemed like they would never come to an end. But they did. Abraham and Sarah did receive a child. Joseph was released from prison. The children of Israel were led out of Egypt. David did make it out of the wilderness and become king. One could go on and on. Some of these individuals did a better job of trusting the Lord in the interim than others. We endeavor to be in the number of those who had faith.

Heman the Ezrahite was given to write Psalm 88, a plaintive song about the sufferings he had and was enduring. Unlike most psalms, there is no deliverance noted. The Psalm ends in the same painful spirit with which it began – and yet it is part of the Word of God. What we can also say is that the Lord preserved – and doubtless did deliver – Heman and allowed him to pen a part of the Word of God (is there a greater honor than that?). He also had an illustrious career as a musician and seer, and was blessed with a family who carried on his duties:
All these were sons of Heman the king's seer. They were given him through the promises of God to exalt him. God gave Heman fourteen sons and three daughters.
1st Chronicles 25:5 NIV
So while Heman poured out his heart to the Lord in Psalm 88, he didn't lose hope or faith – and the Lord eventually answered him (and bountifully so). I can't say for certain, but I would guess that if Heman had it to write over again, he would have ended the psalm with a statement of faith in the Lord's ultimate deliverance. We have it as we have it to teach us a lesson.
(6) So humble yourselves under God's mighty hand so that He may exalt you at the proper time, (7) having cast all your care on Him, for He cares for you. 
1st Peter 5:6-7
Jesus cares for us. He knows when we are hurting. He hears our prayers. We have a right, a duty, an opportunity to trust Him whenever trouble besets us – and to solicit the prayers of others too. 

I'm praying for you, my friend.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #4:
Thank you for all this. I appreciate the info on Heman and his Psalm 88. I doubt I would have ever gotten that otherwise. 

On the torture thing, I suppose I thought that the more I could imagine it happening then I could be ready for it. That plan hadn't worked of course, it only had me tortured already in my mind. So now I will just have to say no to those thoughts. 

I have been pushing myself pretty hard to come to terms on my panic/fear issue. I've not actually been successful yet but I'm still in battle. I do keep asking the Lord to take it away from me. At the same time I am trying to use all the advice I can to defeat it from this side. I do realize the Lord is preparing me for something and this training will be for my benefit in the long run. 

I love that you said that it is possible to not fear as the Lord has said. I know I need to believe something that I've not yet believed. Or trusted Him in a way that I've not yet. 

I'm not sure how to go about "leaning into the Spirit's comfort and leadership. " and how to grab hold of this peace that the Lord has given us. 

Thank you sir for your prayers, there greatly needed. I'm also pray for you. 

In Jesus 
Ps. I had to cancel my procedure this week as I got a cold/flu thing going on. 100 degree days this week so far. (My temperature) I have never had covid, but this snotty thing I get. It's getting a bit comical all the things the devil keeps throwing at me; maybe it's a blessing this was put off; get some rest and let the bug blow over.
Response #4:
Whenever I am afraid,
I will trust in You.
In God (I will praise His word),
In God I have put my trust;
I will not fear.
What can flesh do to me?
Psalm 56:3-4 NKJV
Re: "I will just have to say no to those thoughts". I think that is best. And indeed it's the right policy for virtually anything we are tempted to worry about. God knows what is going to happen. We don't. And He has already prepared our deliverance from whatever it is we will need to be delivered from in the future. He loves us. He "has our back". As long as we are willing to do His will, we have nothing to worry about in fact. As long as we fear HIM more than anything else in this world, then we have absolutely nothing to fear in this world. 
"And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him! Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins? And not one of them is forgotten before God. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows."
Luke 12:4-7 NKJV
Re: "I'm not sure how to go about "leaning into the Spirit's comfort and leadership" and how to "grab hold of this peace that the Lord has given us"." That is a matter of spiritual growth and application, the very challenge that all of us are grappling with in our walk with the Lord day by day. The more we devote ourselves to the truth, learning it, believing it, and applying it to everything in our lives, the better we get at this. We do have the Spirit. We do need to believe and remember that and walk accordingly. We do belong to Jesus Christ; He does love us and does help us; He is right here with us always. We need to remember and apply these truths more and more day by day and progress will be made (link).
"And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew 28:20b NIV
Thanks for the prayers, my friend! Keeping them up on this end too.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #5:
Hello Bob, Happy belated Thanksgiving. Just a quick question about St Irenaeus. I know you have referenced him a few times throughout your two part series especially in regards to his belief that the Antichrist’s origin would be from the tribe of Dan and secondly his teaching on the seven millennial days of history. I have just started reading through Irenaeus Against Heresies and came to book 2 chapter 22 where he says that Jesus lived up into his 40s or 50s?
“Against Heresies (Book II, Chapter 22) The thirty Æons are not typified by the fact that Christ was baptized in His thirtieth year: He did not suffer in the twelfth month after His baptism, but was more than fifty years old when He died.”
He even goes on and writes that this information was passed on by the Apostle John to Polycarb and others. Can you please address this glaring discrepancy of how Irenaeus writing in 180 CE could get this so wrong and also maybe advise as to what other teachings of his that you have come to find as either small errors or dangerous false teachings.

Thanks Bob,
Response #5:
As I've always tried to make clear, I couldn't recommend spending any serious time or effort on any of the "church fathers" for reasons just such as this. They were not inspired.  And we are all "saints" according to scripture, "those sanctified" by the blood of Christ (e.g., Phil.1:1). None is any better than any other (although we are all called upon to run a good race for the Lord, could all do better, and will all be rewarded according to how well we did). 

The "fathers" got a lot more wrong than right – which shows just how quickly doctrinal understanding went down hill immediately after the passing of the apostles (that is the basic message to the church of Ephesus which represented the post-apostolic era; see the link). But we have seen that phenomenon in our own recent memory as well where a given church was strong in the truth but the next generation lackluster and the third generation barely even believers.

The only reason I quote Irenaeus is to demonstrate that these particular teachings you mention are not "new" but that there is evidence of them in the early church. In and of itself that means nothing because of the sort of false teachings which also abounded therein as your email demonstrates. Our touchstone is the Bible. If there were no evidence of a particular teaching in the "church fathers" but it was clear to us that the Bible did support it, then we would stand with the Bible. And if the "church fathers" pretty unanimously taught something (the need to continue water baptism, e.g.), we would reject it if we are clear that the Bible didn't teach it (which in the example it does not; see the link which will lead to many more).

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #6:
Well said Bob, and again thank you so much for taking time to answer. 

BTW I am on page 193 of your Thucydides on War and National Character, very interesting read.

In Jesus 
Response #6:
Wow! If you can get through that, you can get through just about anything. BTW, the second book is better although I don't get anything for it all; such is the nature of academic publishing. The first book's rights were reverted to me so that is a different story; also BTW I am in the process of attempting to build an archive of my scholarly/academic articles listed on the CV; at present many of the links only go to the journal page which describes the content but not to the actual article; hope to get that accomplished this month if possible.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #7:
Absolutely Bob, our touchstone is the Bible and that is why I have come to appreciate your comprehensive exegesis of scripture and I appreciate you taking the time to respond to my question this weekend. Also I was attempting to find your answers on your Home page under Subject Index for information on Preterism also but the word did not come up under “P”. I have just been so grieved by pastors and ministers who are absolutely butchering eschatology and prophecy in the Bible. Where is the best place or what word in your subject index on your website can I find your best refutation of this ridiculous teaching on Preterism? Again, thanks for all you do and hope I haven’t interrupted your day off .

In Jesus 
Response #7:
Not at all! Always great to hear from you, my friend.

In terms of preterism, no, while there are some mentions on the website, I haven't done any deep debunking of that heresy, probably because I've never gotten any serious questions about it. I mean, what serious Christian would entertain the idea that, e.g., the things mentioned in Revelation have already happened? That they are only allegories of some past historical events? You'd sooner not just believe anything in that book.

If you'd share with me precisely the event / prophecy you find being subjected to that obviously false doctrine, I'd be happy to reply.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #8:
Ok Dr Luginbill, here is a sample from Steven Benun’s preterism he put out this morning in regards to Matthew 24 speaking about the generation of the fig tree. Here is the link 

https://www.patreon.com/posts/144914172?utm_campaign=postshare_fan

Let me know if the link is accessible. Anyway, I really appreciate your willingness to take this on. I know you do address this issue through out your two part series but I couldn’t put them all together in a concise manner to handily debunk Steve’s premise here in his attempt to explain that Matthew 24 was already fulfilled. 

Thank you so much Bob,

In Jesus 
Response #8:
I wasn't able to see this from the link (they wanted money and/or information I'm not willing to provide). If you would copy and paste what you want dealt with into an email and send that to me, I'd be happy to respond.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #9:
Sorry about that Bob, I had to copy and paste it here and it’s quite an extended piece. I just wanted to give you a little background into this individual because it might help you to understand his perspective on interpreting the scripture, albeit his background or perspective should have no bearing on anybody’s attempt to exegete Holy writ, only preparation and training in this holy undertaking such as you have went is sufficient. His name is Steven Benun, he is a Jewish Christian and married to a wonderful Jewish Hungarian Christian lady named Jana. Steven worked a in the CIA for 8 years and at that time he says he was a radical Zionist Jew and lived in Israel for awhile. He has a YouTube channel called IsraeliNewsLive. Per his own testimony he was a member of the Chabad Lubavitch movement but after he was born again and got married to Jana they began to distance themselves from Chana’s and moved out of Israel and became a critic of Israeli policies. He has been out of the CIA now for about 25 years. Jana began a ministry herself exposing the Chabad Noahide Laws. During one of their outdoor speaking engagements Steven was approached by two Israeli Mossad individuals and speaking in Hebrew warned Steven and Jana that they need to return to the path and get back in line with the Zionist agenda. This was back in about 2019. Later over the next few years Steve and Jana would bring several doctors onto their YouTube channel to discuss healthcare issues. They covered a variety of subjects on their channel and one of the doctors that came onto the show was a young Jewish doctor named Carrie Madej. The Benuns had invited her into their home and did a show where Jana was teaching Madej how to bake bread. Long story short, a year or so later the Benun’s got sick including their daughter and Jana’s dad, Steven’s father-in-law. Madej heard they were sick and asked if she could visit so give them all a nebulizer treatment of what later was discovered to be a lethal dose of 21 mg of Hydrogen Peroxide. After setting up the treatments Madej scurried out of their home and has not contacted them since. The dose killed Jana’s dad and almost killed the rest of the family. A Tennessee court found Madej guilty of willful negligent homocide. 
Medea surrendered her medical license but has avoided being brought to justice. Jana finally recovered a is currently writing her book I think it’s going to be called The Noahide Laws for Dummies. Anyway just wanted you to know a little bit about there background, I do care for the Benun’s and only wish to help them to understand the future as properly exegeted from the Bible. They also love the Jewish people but they don’t understand the big picture of Gods plan and the best way to correct that is to correct his eschatology. So here it is: 
"This Generation Shall Not Pass”: Matthew 23–24 Re-Examined Steven Ben-Nun For many years I interpreted Matthew 24 through the lens of modern Israel and the political events of the twentieth century. Like countless teachers today, I once believed that the “fig tree” of verse 32 found its fulfillment in the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948: “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh.” To us, it seemed obvious—Israel’s rebirth was the budding of the fig tree, the prophetic clock springing to life. And with that assumption, Jesus’ solemn declaration, “This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled” (Matthew 24:34), appeared to point unmistakably to our own era. But time itself has exposed a problem with that interpretation. If we tie the “fig tree” to 1948 and call a generation forty years, then the deadline passed in 1988 without a single prophecy fulfilled. If we stretch it to seventy years, 2018 came and went as well. And now, in desperation, some keep extending the definition of a generation even further bending the timeline, reshaping the math, doing anything to keep the theory alive. But the harder we stretch it, the more obvious it becomes, we weren’t following Scripture. We were forcing Scripture to fit a system—a system crafted by Schofield, shaped by Zionist theology, and absorbed by the church until it became unquestioned dogma. The text wasn’t leading us. We were pushing the text where we wanted it to go.A dear sister wrote to me and asked, “How do you deal with Matthew 24:34, ‘This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled’?” Her question forced me back to the Scriptures with fresh eyes. The key I had missed for years is very simple: You cannot hope to understand Matthew 24 if you tear it away from Matthew 23. Jesus does not begin His prophecy with signs of the end—He begins with a blistering indictment. In Matthew 23 He strips the Pharisees and scribes bare, exposing them as lawbreakers who crushed the people under man-made Talmudic burdens God never required. Then He strikes at the heart of their guilt, charging them with the blood of the righteous from Abel all the way to their own generation. And with divine finality He declares in verse 36, “Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.” Yet at that point, the judgment itself has not been described. Jesus has only lit the fuse. He sets the stage in Matthew 23—and then, in Matthew 24, He unleashes the details of what their generation would face. Once you restore this connection, everything changes. The chapter opens like a sealed scroll: its prophecies unfold with startling clarity—fulfilled literally in the first century, yet carrying deep spiritual and parabolic meaning that still confronts us today. 1. The Generation Jesus Identifies (Matthew 23) Before Jesus ever speaks of wars, rumors of wars, famines, earthquakes, or the “abomination of desolation,” He first identifies the generation upon whom the judgment will fall. Matthew 23 is not a preface—it is the indictment. The Indictment “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,And say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets.Wherefore ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the prophets.Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers.Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?”— Matthew 23:29–33 In the Hebrew Matthew, the force of Jesus’ words is even stronger: “Serpents, seed of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of Gehenna if you do not turn in repentance?” Here Jesus unmistakably identifies the religious leadership—the scribes and Pharisees—as: Serpents Seed of vipers This is not metaphor for misbehavior; it is a spiritual indictment. He exposes them as the true heirs of those who murdered the prophets. And then He issues the devastating command: “Fill up the measure of your fathers.” In other words: “Finish what your fathers began.” Their fathers killed the prophets.They would kill the Messiah.And after His resurrection, they would hunt down His apostles from city to city, fulfilling every word Jesus spoke. Yet it was these very acts that would bring about their ultimate judgement. Jesus continues: “Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.”— Matthew 23:34-36 Notice the elements: “You” – the leaders standing before Him. “This generation” – the contemporaries of Jesus. “All these things” – the judgment He is about to describe. The phrase “all these things” cannot refer merely to the sins committed by their ancestors; it points forward to the impending judgment that their own actions would bring upon themselves. It is not just a reminder of past crimes—it is a declaration that the very choices they were about to make, the blood they were about to shed, would summon the judgment destined for that generation, culminating in the destruction of their beloved temple—the very place where they issued their verdicts from the Hall of Judgment. That sacred house, once meant to be “a house of prayer,” had become, as Jesus said, “a den of thieves.” Weeping Over Jerusalem “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee,how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.”— Matthew 23:37–38 Jesus weeps over the city that should have known Him best. His cry is not merely poetic—it is the lament of a God who longed to gather His people yet was repeatedly rejected. When He declares, “Your house is left unto you desolate,” the meaning is layered. On the surface, it speaks of the temple itself, soon to be reduced to rubble. But it also speaks of their own lives, their nation, their identity as a people—a house left empty, spiritually desolate, because they had rejected the very Messiah for whom the temple existed. And yet more importantly for whom his Spirit would quicken their own lives. In crucifying Him, they sealed their own judgment. They murdered the One who came to save them, and in that act they brought desolation upon themselves—not only the destruction of their sanctuary, but the collapse of the entire religious system they trusted in. The house they cherished, both literal and spiritual, stood abandoned because they turned away from the only One who could inhabit it with glory. In the Hebrew Matthew, the wording is slightly different: “Therefore, you will leave your houses desolate. Truly I say to you, you will not see Me henceforth until you will say, ‘Blessed is our Savior.’” Here again we see a dual sense—the temple and their own bodies as “houses” without the presence of God. So Matthew 23 settles who is judged and which generation: The leadership of that time The generation contemporary with Jesus Matthew 24 then describes how that judgment unfolds. 2. The Temple and the Question (Matthew 24:1–3) “And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you,There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”— Matthew 24:1-2 Jesus had just said, “Your house is left unto you desolate.” The disciples, stunned, point out the magnificent buildings of Herod’s temple. Jesus answers with a devastating prophecy: not one stone would be left upon another. If you compare this with Josephus’ account of the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD, you find a remarkable harmony. The temple was burned and dismantled; the stones were thrown down. The prophecy is not about a temple in some remote future. It is about that temple—in that generation. On the Mount of Olives, the disciples ask three linked questions: “Tell us, when shall these things be?and what shall be the sign of thy coming,and of the end of the world [age]?”— Matthew 24:3 “When shall these things be?” – When will the temple be destroyed? “What shall be the sign of thy coming?” – How will we know you are vindicated and reigning? “And of the end of the age?” – Not the end of the planet, but the end of the Old Covenant age centered in that temple system. These are not questions about 1948, nor primarily about a distant future tribulation. They are questions about events that would personally affect the disciples: the destruction of Jerusalem, the vindication of Christ, and the close of the Old Covenant era. 3. False Christs, Wars, Famines, and Earthquakes (Matthew 24:4–8) “And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.All these are the beginning of sorrows.”— Matthew 24:4–8 For generations, many assumed these signs belonged exclusively to a distant future — to our time. But the historical record tells a different story. Every sign Jesus listed unfolded within the very generation He addressed, in the decades between roughly AD 30 and AD 70. False Christs and False Prophets Josephus, the Jewish historian who lived through the events leading to Jerusalem’s destruction, records a surge of false messiahs and prophetic pretenders, exactly as Jesus warned. One such figure was Theudas, who: “persuaded a great part of the people to take their effects with them and follow him to the river Jordan; for he told them he was a prophet, and that he would by his own command divide the river and afford them an easy passage.”— Josephus, Antiquities 20.97–99 The result was catastrophic. Roman forces intercepted his followers and slaughtered many. Josephus adds that others led people into the wilderness, promising miraculous deliverance, but instead led them to ruin. Early Christian writers describe similar deceivers — men who “performed wonderful deeds,” astonishing the simple, yet were filled with an unclean spirit. These are the very impostors Jesus warned of when He said: “Many shall come in my name… and shall deceive many.” Wars and Rumors of Wars The decades before Jerusalem’s fall were marked by continual upheaval. Between AD 30 and 70, the Roman Empire was anything but stable: Violent uprisings in Caesarea Revolts in Syria and Alexandria The Jewish–Roman conflicts that grew progressively worse The political chaos of the Year of the Four Emperors (AD 68–69) And constant skirmishes in Judea and surrounding regions The Roman historian Tacitus writes of that period: “The history on which I am entering is that of a period rich in disasters, frightful in its wars, torn by civil strife… marked by foreign wars, and even the city itself was burned.”— Tacitus, Histories 1.2 For first-century believers, “wars and rumors of wars” were not prophetic symbols — they were daily reality. Famines and Pestilences The New Testament itself records a major famine: “And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world; which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar.”— Acts 11:28 Josephus confirms this famine in vivid detail. He notes that conditions became so severe in Jerusalem that Queen Helena of Adiabene had to personally import vast quantities of grain and dried figs to keep people alive (Antiquities 20.51–53). Other ancient writers describe famines in Rome where the city had only enough grain to survive for fifteen days — a level of scarcity that breeds disease, death, and unrest. Jesus’ words were exact: “There shall be famines and pestilences.” Earthquakes in Divers Places Ancient records testify to widespread seismic activity in the decades leading to Jerusalem’s destruction: Major earthquakes in Asia Minor, including Laodicea (which was destroyed and rebuilt without Roman assistance) Earthquakes in Crete and Rome itself Tremors and disturbances in Judea, especially during the siege Luke records that at Jesus’ crucifixion: “there was a darkness over all the earth… And the sun was darkened”— Luke 23:44–45 and Matthew adds that: “the earth did quake, and the rocks rent.”— Matthew 27:51 These were not isolated events but part of a broader pattern the ancient world acknowledged. Already Fulfilled in Their Generation When Jesus said, “All these are the beginning of sorrows,” He was not giving signs meant for a distant age two thousand years removed from His own. He was speaking directly to His disciples about events that would erupt in their lifetime. Every sign He listed — false Christs, rising conflicts, political upheavals, famine, pestilence, and earthquakes — was already rumbling through the Roman world as they stood before Him on the Mount of Olives. These were not future symbols.They were present realities—birth pains already beginning. Together they formed the precise prelude to the catastrophe of AD 70, when Jerusalem was besieged, the temple was burned, and the Old Covenant age came crashing to an end. Far from weakening Jesus’ prophecy, history vindicates His words with astonishing precision. The events recorded by Josephus, Tacitus, the New Testament, and the early Church fathers align seamlessly with the warnings Jesus gave to that generation. The accuracy is so exact, so undeniable, that it forces any honest reader to confront the weight of His prophecy and the immediacy with which it was fulfilled. 4. Persecution and the Gospel to All the World (Matthew 24:9–14) “Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.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.”— Matthew 24:9–14 The early chapters of Acts — and the records of first-century history — read like a direct commentary on Jesus’ words. Everything He warned His disciples about began to unfold almost immediately. Stephen is stoned in Acts 7. James the son of Zebedee is beheaded in Acts 12. Paul is beaten, scourged, stoned, imprisoned, and eventually executed. Under Nero’s persecution in the AD 60s, believers were burned, crucified, and torn apart by wild beasts. Josephus confirms that James, the brother of Jesus, along with other believers, were brought before the Sanhedrin as “breakers of the law” and stoned. The accusation? Violating the religious order — precisely the same charge the rabbis now codify under the Noahide framework. This is not a coincidence. It reveals the spirit of the same religious system, unchanged across millennia:a system that condemns the confession of Jesus as the divine Son of God as “blasphemy” and “idolatry.” What the early Church suffered under the authority of the Sanhedrin and Pharisees is now embedded, as my wife Jana Sutoova Ben-Nun has documented extensively, in the Talmudic Law of the Kings and the Seven Noahide Laws — a framework that still identifies the worship of Jesus Christ as a capital offense. The hatred Jesus warned of in Matthew 24 was not a vague prediction.It was the immediate reality His followers would face. The Gospel Preached in All the World Many insist that Matthew 24:14 cannot have been fulfilled because the gospel has not yet reached every individual on earth. But the decisive question is not our modern expectation — it is the biblical definition of “all the world.” Paul, writing under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, states: “But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.”— Romans 10:18 And again: “…the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister.”— Colossians 1:23 Paul is not speaking in hyperbole. He is describing the missionary explosion of the apostolic era — the rapid spread of the gospel throughout the entire known world of that time: the Roman Empire and beyond. Thus, when Jesus said, “then shall the end come,” He was not referring to the end of the planet, but the end of the Old Covenant age, the collapse of the temple-centered system that rejected Him. And here lies the stumbling block for many believers: If the end of the age came in AD 70, then why are we still here? It is an honest question — one that theologians, pastors, and scholars have often avoided. But it is a question this book will address in a later chapter, because understanding the distinction between the end of the age and the end of the world is essential to grasping Jesus’ prophecy. The early Church lived through the very events Jesus foretold.And history confirms that His words were fulfilled — in their generation. 5. The Abomination of Desolation and the Flight to the Mountains (Matthew 24:15–20) “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:)Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day.”— Matthew 24:15–20 The Hebrew Matthew adds a striking clarification: “This is the Antichrist, this is the abomination which desolates, which was spoken by Daniel, standing in the holy place. Let him who reads understand.” This tells us two things: Jesus expected His listeners to recognize this sign. Its appearance would be so unmistakable that immediate flight was the only safe response. Titus and the Desolation of the Sanctuary Jerusalem had been attacked in earlier centuries, but nothing compared to what unfolded in AD 70. Roman General Titus, who later became emperor, surrounded the city, choked off supplies, and launched a brutal siege that lasted months. When the Romans finally entered the temple precincts, they defiled and destroyed the sanctuary, fulfilling Jesus’ prediction with terrifying precision. Titus — a Gentile ruler standing in the holy place — is one of the most compelling historical fulfillments of what Jesus called the “abomination of desolation.” A defiling presence.A desecrated sanctuary.A holy place left in ruins.Every element fits the Lord’s warning. The Flight to Pella Early Christian historians such as Eusebius and Epiphanius record a remarkable fact:before the war reached Jerusalem, the believers received a divine warning. They fled across the Jordan River to the town of Pella, a mountainous region in Perea. Their flight fulfilled Jesus’ instructions literally: Those in Judea fled to the mountains. They did not return home to gather possessions. They escaped the horrors that consumed the city in AD 70. The siege began in the spring, not winter, just as Jesus urged them to pray.Those bound by strict Sabbath regulations would have hesitated to flee, yet Jesus had already taught that saving life supersedes Sabbatical restrictions. The believers who followed His warning survived.Those who remained inside the city faced famine, slaughter, and fire. A Spiritual and Parabolic Layer While the prophecy was fulfilled in a literal sense, Jesus’ words also carry profound spiritual symbolism that speaks across ages. “Flee into the mountains” In certain Dead Sea Scroll texts, the “mountains” represent the prophets: “The mountains are the prophets, and the messenger is the anointed of the Spirit…” To “flee to the mountains” means more than physical escape — it signifies a return to the prophetic word, the testimony that pointed to Christ from the beginning. “On the housetop” The one who has ascended in spiritual understanding, who stands in the light of Christ, has no need to descend into the old house — the former life, the former system, the former garment of religion. “In the field” The laborer in the harvest (cf. Matthew 9:37–38) must not return for his old garment — symbol of the Old Covenant.The fringes with the blue thread (Numbers 15:38–40) were reminders of the law.In Christ, the believer receives a new garment, clothed in His righteousness. To go back for the old garment is to prefer the shadow to the substance. “Woe to them that are with child” On one level Jesus speaks of natural hardship during a time of flight. But on a deeper level, this refers to those who remain spiritually infantile, always on milk, never on strong meat (Hebrews 5:12–14). In times of shaking, the immature are vulnerable, the spiritually mature stand firm. God needs sons and daughters, not babes feeding at the breast, when the storm comes. The prophecy of the abomination of desolation was fulfilled with chilling accuracy in the first century. Yet its spiritual warnings remain alive for every generation:Do not return to the old garment. Do not descend from the rooftop. Do not flee to Egypt. Flee to the mountains — to the prophets — to Christ. 6. Great Tribulation and the Shortening of Days (Matthew 24:21–28) “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”— Matthew 24:21–22 The four-year war leading up to the destruction of Jerusalem unleashed horrors so unimaginable that even hardened Roman soldiers recoiled at what they witnessed. Josephus, an eyewitness to the carnage, describes Jerusalem as a city descending into madness: Starvation so severe that mothers cooked their own children, Entire families dying in their homes without burial, Violent infighting among rival Jewish factions within the walls, Piles of the dead left unburied in the streets, And finally, the total destruction of the temple, the heart of Israel’s national life. Roman General Titus, though no friend of the Jews, repeatedly urged surrender to spare the population. Josephus records that Titus tried again and again to negotiate peace — yet the zealots refused. In that sense, the days were indeed “shortened” for the elect. Had the siege continued any longer, none would have survived. Everything Jesus foretold came upon that generation exactly as He said. And in those dreadful days, another of Jesus’ warnings unfolded: False prophets multiplying in a dying city Josephus writes that deceivers roamed Jerusalem promising divine intervention, urging people to stay in the city because God would deliver them with signs and wonders. Many listened — and died. Jesus had warned: “If any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.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.”— Matthew 24:23–24 This was not future speculation.It was the lived reality of AD 70. 7. The Coming of the Son of Man and the Sign from Heaven (Matthew 24:27–31) “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be…”— Matthew 24:27 This section is often pushed entirely into the distant future — yet the Scriptures themselves reveal a deeper and more immediate fulfillment. Lightning From East to West — and the Single Eye Jesus compares His coming to lightning shining from east to west. In Matthew 6:22 He adds: “The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.” The work of Christ is not merely external; it is internal, spiritual, transformative. He died in the East — in the land of Israel — but when He rose and sent forth the Holy Spirit, that light flashed from east to west, filling the entire body of believers. Then Jesus says something extraordinary: “No man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven.”— John 3:13 Standing on earth, He declares that the Son of Man is in heaven.His “coming” is inseparably tied to His resurrection, ascension, and the vindicating outpouring of the Spirit. The Cosmic Signs and Acts 2 At the crucifixion: The sun was darkened, The earth quaked, Rocks split, Graves opened (Matthew 27:51–53). Non-Christian writers — including Phlegon, a Roman historian — also record an extraordinary darkening of the sun around that time. In Jewish prophetic language: Sun = ruling authority Moon = derivative authority Stars = leaders Powers of heaven = spiritual authorities When Jesus ascended, every one of these powers was shaken. A new kingdom had been inaugurated. Now look at Acts 2: “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind…”“And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.”“And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost…”— Acts 2:2–4 Notice carefully:The text does not say the tongues descended — only that they appeared and then sat upon each of them. This visible sign — fire resting upon the heads of the disciples — was the heavenly announcement that: “The Son of Man has arrived at the right hand of the Father.” This is the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And who witnessed it? Luke tells us: “Devout men, out of every nation under heaven.”— Acts 2:5 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Egyptians, Libyans, Romans, Arabs, and more — representatives of all Israel scattered among the nations. When Peter preached, they were: “pricked in their heart” (Acts 2:37) — they mourned. This fulfills: “Then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn…”— Matthew 24:30 The “tribes” here are the tribes of Israel in Diaspora, gathered in Jerusalem for Shavuot/Pentecost. Gathering the Elect Jesus continues: “He shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds…”— Matthew 24:31 “Angels” = messengers, which the New Testament often applies to human ministers.The gospel went forth from Jerusalem into the entire known world, gathering the elect from every direction — exactly as Isaiah and Zechariah foretold. This is not a picture of a future rapture;It is the beginning of the global spread of the gospel in the first century. 8. The Parable of the Fig Tree and “This Generation” (Matthew 24:32–35) “Now learn a parable of the fig tree…”— Matthew 24:32 For years, we were told — and I myself once taught — that the fig tree represented the modern State of Israel, and that 1948 restarted the prophetic clock. But Jesus said no such thing. He said: “When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh.” On the Day of Pentecost, the branches began to put forth leaves.The House of Israel — gathered from many nations — awakened to the reality of Christ. The signs Jesus listed — every one of them — were already unfolding: The gospel preached to all the world The sign of the Son of Man in heaven False prophets Wars, famines, earthquakes Jerusalem surrounded The abomination of desolation The flight to the mountains Then Jesus says: “This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” A biblical generation in that context is forty years. From AD 30 to AD 70 — exactly forty years — every word was fulfilled: Christ crucified, risen, ascended The Spirit poured out The gospel spread False prophets multiplied Wars and upheaval shook the empire Persecution and martyrdom raged Jerusalem was besieged The temple was destroyed Jesus’ prophecy did not fail.It was fulfilled to the letter. Conclusion: Past Fulfillment, Present Warning To say Matthew 24 was fulfilled in the first century does not empty it of meaning for us today.It magnifies its relevance. The spirit that opposed Christ then still operates now.The religious system that exalted human tradition over God’s Word is alive and well.The drive to resurrect the Sanhedrin, enforce Noahide-style laws, and punish “idolatry” and “blasphemy” — exactly as in the first century — is reemerging on a global scale. The warning remains: Do not return to the old garment. Do not go back into the house of bondage. Do not submit your conscience to those who reject Christ, no matter how religious they appear. Christ has already come in judgment upon the Old Covenant order.He has already received the Kingdom.He has already poured out His Spirit as the sign from heaven. Now He calls us to walk in that light —with a single eye,a new garment,and a heart fully surrendered to Him —no matter what comes in our generation.”
Thanks Bob

In Jesus,
Response #9:
Thanks for the background and for pasting in the info. Very interesting.

1) Of course 1948 – and all other dates since Pentecost – are meaningless in terms of biblical interpretation because the Church Age, the Age of the Spirit, is the "mystery age" (link) which is only hinted at in OT prophesy (in places such as the ceremonial calendar; link).

2) He means Scofield (of Scofield reference Bible fame); earlier scholars who overdid dispensationalism (by which I mean got much of it wrong) are to have their mistakes pointed out, but they mostly did move things forward in terms of interpretation. The problem is that the church visible instead of continuing to advance instead set their mistakes in stone as dogma, as in the "rapture", in a similar way to which hyper-Calvinists treated Calvin's teachings.

3) Re: "fulfilled literally in the first century"; B seems to think that "this generation" means the very people Jesus was speaking to. However, our Lord is saying, in effect, "this type of people", namely, the special people of God by birth who yet refuse in hardness to accept Him. Clearly, "this type" is still around as Paul had demonstrated as well when he said that while there is always a remnant, this "hardness in part" (Rom.11:25) would continue until Christ's return:
I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in, and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob. And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.
Romans 11:25-27 NIV
The problem has to do with the disparity between what the English word "generation" means and the connotations it carries which are different from the Greek words genea/genos. Best place to get the details on this is at the link at Ichthys: "This Generation (in HE 3)"; and see also "this generation" email response.

4) The destruction of Jerusalem. Our Lord does talk about the imminent (fifty years future) destruction of the city by the Romans in Luke 21:20-24, but elsewhere in that chapter and in the "Olivet Discourse" He is talking about the destruction before His return . The city was destroyed in A.D. 70, but completely so; it was not delivered as is prophesied in, e.g., the book of Zechariah chapter 14 (e.g.). None of the things spoken of in the other prophecies about the siege have yet taken place either nor the things which precede it (such as the rise of antichrist or the abomination of desolation), most notably the events surrounding Armageddon and our Lord's return (see the link). Looking for smidgens of agreement is closely akin to allegorizing scripture, a practice I hope we can all agree has nothing profitable for us who believe scripture to be the actual Word of God.

5) I don't have the time to refute all such things here. It seems obvious to me that anyone reading their Bible will see many things that were definitely NOT fulfilled in the first century, and one of which if significant would be sufficient to bring this theory down. So I'll just limit myself to one. In Matthew 24 there is no mention of "antichrist". The "abomination of desolation" is an idolatrous statue (the one set up by the false prophet in Revelation 13). Titus was not the antichrist. Antichrist is not even fully revealed until the middle of the Tribulation (2Thes.2:3), and he will rule the entire world, not just the Mediterranean littoral (e.g., Rev.13:8). Nor was Titus a statue (obviously). If that is not wild allegorization, what is? And by the time that the Romans reached the temple, the last redoubt of the defense, there was no longer any question of anyone being able to "flee". Clearly, the idol precedes the siege or the warning would be worthless. One wonders what B does with the book of Revelation. It would seem that the entire thing would need to be allegorized away to fit this scheme. There are rules for how to correctly interpret the Bible, after all, and that is particularly the case when it comes to interpreting prophecy. I spend a good deal of "ink" on that in the first part of CT series (see the link: section IV.1 "Hermeneutic Issues").

I give B credit for decoupling exegesis of the Bible from the false paradigm of "rapture eschatology" and "1948 significance" (as if they had A.D./B.C. when the Bible was written – absolutely not). But his solution causes more problems than it solves. I will also so that most preterists are unbelievers (or giving a good impression of being so), since one usually finds this term applied to individuals who want to completely neuter the book of Revelation by claiming that, e.g., Nero was the antichrist and that everything mentioned in the book either already happened or is only an allegory of some historic event. No one who has any faith in scripture as the actual Word of God could ever believe such a thing. Clearly, nothing in Revelation has happened yet (apart from the trends of the seven churches and John's experience in seeing the Lord wherein he was given the charge to write the book). But we are very likely to see everything written in that book taking place soon enough. All the more reason to give all false teaching a wide berth, no matter how well intentioned it might be.

Hope this is of some use to you. I have no desire to get into a debate with B himself. From your background description, it seems he's got enough to deal with already.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #10:
Hello Dr. Luginbill,

How are you and your family? 

I was texting with __ this afternoon, and he let me know you asked him how I was doing in the __ . I realized I have not corresponded with you since last year. I am so sorry for not sending you an update!

I passed all of my testing and got accepted, but before classes started I decided to not go in. I had started to doubt that this was the right path for me because pursuing it while working a full-time job was consuming almost all of my time and energy, including Bible study. It was difficult to focus on God’s Word because I was always exhausted. I had been praying to God for wisdom about sticking with the recruitment process.

So, I agonized over the decision for a little while. I think God gave me wisdom through speaking with my closest friend who I have known since kindergarten. She told me I should focus on whether I wanted to still do it and if it was best for my well-being. After considering all my doubts and my “heartsickness” in missing my long study sessions in God’s Word, I decided to throw in the towel. I think it would have been a great career if I had found it in my 20s, but not right for me at this stage in my life, and also getting so close to the possible start of the Tribulation.

I don’t regret my decision at all. This fall and spring, I have had so much more time to spend reading my Bible consistently. I dove right back into your studies and reading the weekly email Q/A’s. I am in a good pattern of reading two chapters of God’s Word each night with Unger’s commentary and spending longer hours on the weekends taking notes on your Tribulation study and apologetics.

Thank you so much for keeping me on the prayer list during this time! I needed all of them! I know God used the gauntlet of the recruitment process to further refine me, teach me self-discipline, how to have “grit” and how to keep persisting through nerve-wracking circumstances. I kept praying, “God, if this is not supposed to be my path, please close the door on me,” but He never closed the door and kept helping me pass the tests. Instead, He helped me to grow enough spiritually to realize that it was not the right door to go through.

I hope you and your family are doing well, especially through the crazy political rollercoaster that is now the USA. I keep you in my prayers daily. Is there anything specific you want me to pray for you?

In Christ’s Love,
Response #10:
Thanks so much for the update, my friend! Doing well here (almost done with the semester and about to start my summer research push).

It sounds to me as if you made the right decision. I do remember how much more difficult it became to do highly physical things at 30-something than it was at 20-something. The fact that you passed the tests and got in is a great testimony to your perseverance and determination. I would consider that a great victory! Not something you have to keep proving by doing this another twenty years.

It's also a testimony to your spiritual maturity that you are deciding to put the Lord first and that this is a prime factor in the decision. No doubt putting yourself through this and being victorious was a very good experience on every level as well.

Finally, on closed doors, I am sure it was no accident that the Lord let you come to the right decision on your own without taking it out of your hands. It shows you are ready for what comes next. Big test passed! The more important spiritual kind.

Re: "the crazy political rollercoaster that is now the USA". It really is something, and has got so many so upset, and I'm thinking, "is all this really necessary?" Of course it isn't, but we understand that the evil one has a big hand in it on the macro and micro scale both.

I'll be praying for the success of all your future endeavors, my friend.

Thanks so much for your prayers too!

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #11:
 Hello Dr. Luginbill, 

It's great to know that you are doing well! 

Thank you so much for asking about updates on my family and friends. 

I know the evil one is in control of both political parties, but I think Trump's second term is blatantly Satanic. That "Trump Gaza" video he posted on his Truth Social account, with the giant gold statues of himself and people purchasing little golden idols of him, should have been a huge wake-up call to the Christians that still support him. Do you think the goal of his presidency is to cause division, political chaos, and economic turmoil so the antichrist can ride in like a knight in shining armor and "put everyone at ease?"

In Christ's Love,
Response #11:
Will do on the prayer requests. 

Re: "the evil one in control of politics", that is so true. I think your analysis is quite good and it certainly could work out that way. We need to be flexible in our interpretation of events, however, because while scripture gives us the broad outlines once the Tribulation begins, we're not quite there yet, and we really can't know how "all this" is shaping the future specifically for what will happen then. We watch what's happening; we draw conclusions from it fair enough, but only what's in the Bible is a reliable guide. The devil is the ultimate opportunist and will make use of any and all political developments to further his agenda. To me that means that he would be just as happen to launch antichrist from the left or the right (or even center or some new angle that hasn't yet become apparent) . . . whatever seems to him to be likely to work. Blessedly we believers already know that in the end it WON'T work.
Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven saying, "The world Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ has [now] come, and He will rule forever and ever. Amen". 
Revelation 11:15 
Re: "Is there anything specific you want me to pray for you?" Well, I could use a few more first year Greek students for next fall – so the class will "make" [n.b., it did! Thanks everyone!].

Thanks for all your prayers, my friend!

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #12:
Hi Bob,

Yes with the enemy and his 666 ways to salvation, it is like the Kentucky Derby/Grand National..he has a lot of horses racing, in fact every horse in the race is his. The enemy may not know which particular horse he has running (or iron in the fire/device/weapon forged) will be the one that will win out and be the one to continually run out against all others in the Tribulation. At this point, it doesn't really matter as long as we know that he owns all the horses and to steer clear of ALL of them.

Once the Tribulation starts and the Antichrist be revealed then we will have a better idea which horse will win but then once he starts establishing his one world religion on the back of his huge military successes and lying signs and wonders, then it is quite likely that all the ideologies of all the losing horses will also be sucked into the one horse so that everyone will be included. Everyone apart from true believers who hold onto the truth that is.

If I take the analogy further, Christian faith will be the horse running alongside the enemy's horses. In the fields running alongside but not part of his race at all. I thought of this horse as once being wild but now been tamed by the Holy Spirit and now following the Word of God on the narrow path.

As soon as us believers get caught up with the issues of this world, we are taking our horse out of the race our Lord has given us to run and instead pushing our horse to run in Satan's race. Like you said, this messy business of pro this or con that is all from the devil so we have to keep out of all of it. We also at times need to steer loved ones away from it but most importantly of all is to keep the few sheep the Lord has/will give us to minister to, to keep them completely set apart from these increasingly more and more sticky quagmires.

I have said before that Donald Trump has a mind bending Gnostic cult behind him called Q Anon. Well it seems, from doing a bit of research, that the people who push Critical Race Theory and __ Theory et al (the so called 'woke' left) in schools, institutions, media etc are basically all Marxist of one stripe or another and either using pressure from top down clout to push a type of 'Capitalist Leninism' (using money/capital to force a communist revolution) whilst using the youth bottom up to form a Maoist Red Guard to bring about a cultural revolution.

It seems at the moment that we are being forced to 'pick your poison' = do you want Pepsi or Coke? Do you want Fascism or Communism? Because Satan pulls the strings on both sides. There is a mind bending political cult forcing change around us through institutions (the left) and there is a mind bending political cult who is trying to counter and overthrow this (the right).

At this point, unless you are a born again believer following Christ, all roads lead to Satan but when has this never been the case?

It's not always easy because this is all highly emotive and sticky stuff but I am learning to keep away from all of it. It is becoming increasingly difficult though to stay always completely out of it as we will have loved ones and people around us getting dragged into these cultural and political wars more and more and truly this can only lead to deepening division and civil unrest and then eventually, civil war.

The situation is completely impossible with only extremism on one side or the other getting airplay whilst any moderate and sane position (especially when it is grounded in Biblical truth) gets immediately sidelined as being 'out of touch'. 

From people telling me that 'just studying theology is being out of touch' to reading comments online saying 'we can't let God do everything, sometimes we have to give God a hand'. I was also once accused on Reddit of peddling an 'Archie Bunker - let's all get along - and sing Kumbaya around the campfire'. 

When we know that if anything the truth of the Word is highly divisive and only becomes unifying once you have accepted it and are within the faith and continuing to grow in the truth and rejecting all that is false and contrary to the truth.

I hope this is both edifying to you and your ministry. For some strange quirk of personality, I compose myself better and can only really think when I write things down!

The deception is very thick now and very confusing. The demonic rebellion pushing both sides are very slick and sophisticated in deception. Some parts of it are obvious but others are very subtle. It would be easy for anyone to be scuppered by it if they weren't emotional divested from it and rooted in the truth.

It isn't just the 'great unwashed' that are falling for this but the so called 'greats'. It is the so-called intelligentsia and the elites of this world that are neck deep in all this stuff. If there is a conspiratorial deception behind the deception, it would be that the ones who are the most deceptive are also the most deceived. Anyone who believes that Satan only lies to other people but is faithful and true to them is a real fool.

I have learned that when something is impossible then God is the only way. Then again, as I said before, as I mature in faith, the more childlike towards God I become. It isn't just obvious to me that only God can get us through the big impossible stuff but we dearly need Him with even the little possible stuff of the everyday. We really aren't as strong or as wise and prudent as we think we are. The longer I walk with the Lord, the more I realise I need to trust myself and my own heart less and less and to trust the Lord more and more. Amen! 

Marana-tha!

In Jesus,
p.s. on a slightly different tack...Whilst researching this cultural Marxism we are surrounded by, I stumbled on a form of argument/fallacy/deception that the enemy and his followers use all the time and so I wanted to mention it as I think it very useful. It's called the Motte and bailey fallacy and cults use it all the time. It's a form of equivocation and disguising their true intent or doctrine when contested to make the attacker abandon the attack on the real doctrine to attack a fallacy instead. It also makes the attacker look unreasonable as the fallacy or Motte is something that everyone would agree with. 
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motte-and-bailey_fallacy
It's a very clever sleight of hand that is so common that even my family has used it on me when I have tried to defend a Biblical position in the face of all these cultural attacks. I find knowing about these tactics very useful especially given my ministry is about exposing lies, false teaching, cult techniques. I know these types of skills are needed in apologetics but having some knowledge how the enemy and his followers twist the rules of language itself and deliberately use methods of deceit through obfuscation will be a useful skill to have in my back pocket! Then again, if someone is lying about what they believe in then it is likely that they know they are doing that and there is no such arguing the truth into a person. Still find it interesting as a person who never learned how to debate at school.
Response #12:
Re: Motte and bailey. I read this in scripture:
And the serpent, more than any other wild creature which the Lord God had made, was shrewd. And he said to the woman, "Did God really tell you not to eat from any tree in the garden?" Then the woman said to the serpent, "We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden. But from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said that we must not eat from it, and that we must not touch it, lest we die". "You will surely not die," the serpent said to the woman. "For God knows that on the day you eat of it, your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God [or "gods"], knowing good and evil." When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and was attractive to the eye, and that the tree was desirable for bestowing insight, she took some of its fruit and ate it, then gave it also to her husband with her and he ate.
Genesis 3:1-6
So it seems that this approach has actually been around for a VERY long time (link).

Re: "It is becoming increasingly difficult though to stay always completely out of it as we will have loved ones and people around us getting dragged into these cultural and political wars more and more and truly this can only lead to deepening division . . ." That is very true. Very few people over here are able to keep themselves above the fray, and understandably so since the noise level is higher than ever before and since the extreme policy implementations (on both sides) are hitting home more tangibly than ever before.

You are right. We need to remember how small we are and be willing to let the Spirit lead our decision-making by letting the Lord lead us by the hand wherever He wants us to go. The more it's about "us", the less likely we'll be heading the right way. The more we revere and respect Him, the better everything is in every way.
"And to man He said,
‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom,
And to depart from evil is understanding.' ”
Job 28:28 NKJV
Thanks for the "shell game" reminder too!

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #13:
Hi Dr L,

1) This may be a grammar one, I shortened the line (left out words and verse references) to show what I mean. With those modifications it goes:

"As with the Corinthians...who behaved obstreperously...but who were...willing to be abused by the false teachers..teaching...the Law as though salvation were dependent upon such legalistic behavior, when in fact it would have undermined...their salvation by grace through faith in Christ."

and then it ends. I may be reading it wrong, but you seem to be missing something at the end (maybe)?

2) I just wanted to ask: further down on that same page you say "He did not immediately confront Peter with his hypocrisy in not being willing to break bread with gentile believers at Antioch." The other things you listed fit, but I am not understanding this part because when I read it in my English translation it looks like he saw it and then did immediately confront, or what am I missing? 

Should I be careful about who I share ICHTHYS with? I am worried that I would be the cause of it getting taken down faster because if I share it with the wrong person (and then the Tribulation happens and they remember it).

Amber C.
Response #13:
1) It is a bit of a "word salad" (not unusual for me)! I've changed some things around and made it (a bit) more readable.

2) I get "not immediately" from the fact that the hypocrisy went on long enough for even Barnabas to be drawn into it (and that surely didn't happen just overnight).

On sharing Ichthys, you should do what the Spirit moves you to do. If a person is genuinely interested in your "pearls", then by all means share! But casting them before swine is dangerous . . . for you.

I have confidence in the Lord that He will keep the site "up" . . . just as long as HE wants it available.

Thanks for your help as always, my friend!

Friday finally came!

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #14:
Hello Sir,

My health is good. __ is doing good too, growing in the Lord. Trying to get __ into faith. __ are doing fine too. I am keeping my patience too growing in the lord. Thank you for letting me know about the Hebrews series already completed. studying the Word daily.

I hope you are doing well too ? praying for you daily 

In Him,
Response #14:
Thanks for the update. Great news about __! I pray for your family daily as well.

Things are OK here in spite of the general upheaval in this country at present. My health is pretty good, all things considered. As my mom used to say, "I'm in pretty good shape for the shape I'm in". The university is in a pretty big state of disruption too (our president got fired for reasons the board won't divulge), but I keep my head down and keep doing my job. Now if I can only enroll enough Greek students in the fall . . . (prayers appreciated!; n.b., the class "made" – thanks for the prayers!).

Thanks for all your other prayers too, my friend.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #15:
Things are getting difficult everywhere. blessedly it's only a short time left now. May we all be well prepared for the Tribulation. I keep your job and your students, colleagues always in my prayers and I will continue to do so.

Thanks, 
Response #15:
Re: "May we all be well prepared for the Tribulation." Amen to that! 
CT 7:  Preparing for Tribulation
And thanks so much for your prayers, my friend. 

Keeping the prayers coming from this end as well.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #16:
Hi Bob, and family,

Just finished reading your work on Hebrews 11, and I have to say I enjoyed it immensely!

And I would add, I like how you didn’t hold back in being assertive towards any who can be considered slack – I hope it triggers a response in the right way.

It just further reminds me of how far some have fallen in these Laodicean times – if they would only change their direction before it’s too late.

Perhaps Tribulation, which is now on this side of the horizon and approaching fast – will be the necessary factor.

Hope you and yours are well.

As always my dear friend,
Response #16:
Thanks for the "good review", my friend! Much appreciated.

Re: the Tribulation being "the necessary factor" to prod some of our fellow believers towards spiritual growth, I think you are definitely right about that. When the pandemic hit, I thought that might turn hearts to the Lord, but if anything it seemed to have accentuated the trend towards lukewarmness instead. That is what happened with the response to this ministry, at any rate.

We're likely to find out soon enough!

Keeping you and your health and your family in my daily prayers, my friend.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #17:
Hi Bob,

Don't be sorry about the links. When I get my eyes remodeled, I'll enjoy what you've worked so hard to write. One thing I've learned as my eyes dim is, what we see has nothing to do with reality. True, the grass still needs mowing, etc., but in terms of the REAL world, we have no clue. A man I respected once told me, after I erupted over foolish decisions: "__," he said,"common sense is the sum total of our experience." That has stayed with me for all these years and leads me to question the experience of the pundits, experts and those making decisions for us. In fact, it makes me question what I consider my common sense. If we can't see, our common sense is false. It takes faith to truly see.

All this comes from considering my eyesight. (Sorry, you got me started on the eyesight business,)

It's been hot and very dry here in the boonies. It looks like we may be in for another drought. The poor livestock next door are already having trouble getting enough fresh grass. I'm learning (from them) to live with what God has given me that grows well down here.

Reading through Matthew 24 again, verses 4-14, it seems like His prophecy is being fulfilled today. At least since the Lincoln regime. If it took 120 years respite for Noah to complete the ark, the time it's taken to arrive at this point doesn't seem out of line. If your reasoning on the start of Tribulation is accurate, which I think it is, we are at the same point as Noah was just before the flood. Have I misunderstood?

After verse 14, it's clearly about the second half of Tribulation.

Thank you for your prayers.

May the Lord be with you and yours,
Response #17:
I wouldn't say that there is no application of these verses or no similar situations which have come to be since our Lord said these words, but I do think that the actual, complete prophetic fulfillment is going to take place during the Tribulation, however.

For example,
"Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake."
Matthew 24:9 NKJV
. . . refers to the Great Persecution (link), and I don't know of any other time in history where this could be said to have been fulfilled. As I say, while persecution and hatred of genuine believers have always been around, this verse will only be fulfilled completely during the second half of the Tribulation. Note that this follows "the beginning of sorrows", so that the preceding verses are its first half and verse nine begins the second half of the seven years, so that our Lord's treatment is roughly chronological.

Good point about common sense. That explains "spiritual common sense" as well since it's the sum total of all the truth we have learned and have had experience applying in the Holy Spirit.

Good rain today, so no drought at the moment up here.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #18:
Hi Bob,

I'm sure you're right, but I do believe that your use of the word "fulfillment" should probably be "culmination." I admit the sum total of my experience only spans some 70+ years but in that time, I've never seen anything like what we have today. We seem to be in an age of culmination.

I had fig trees until the drought killed them. (A lesson buried there.) Verse 32 (Matthew) is accurate, While I no longer have fig trees, it appears to me that very hot times are near.

Feel free to send some of your rain this way. We have had only little.

In our Lord,
Response #18:
The terminology I use is based upon the Bible and also traditional English theological use, but you do have a point inasmuch as there are multiple times in the gospels where it says something like "thus the prophecy was fulfilled" but it can't mean "completely fulfilled". That's the situation with a lot of the things in Matthew 24 which have been / are being fulfilled in a sense (application) but where the final and complete fulfillment of the prophecy won't take place until the Tribulation and its end (the second advent and coming of the blessed kingdom of our Lord). 

This is a common biblical trope, after all, analogous to "the Day of the Lord paradigm" (link) wherein prophets were given to use THE Tribulation as a point of analogy and comparison to judgment and trouble occurring or prophesied to occur in their own day; i.e., a nearer partial fulfillment than the final one during end times. 

Things are amazingly problematic at present. I'll definitely give you that!

Wet again last night and again today. Much appreciated since trees and woody plants are going in / being transplanted here and they notoriously choke if it's too dry after such experiences. More yard work tomorrow and probably Sunday. On a higher note, I finished up my grades today so I am officially done with year 34 at U of L! Now all I have to do is churn out a few articles this summer . . .

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #19:
Hi Bob,

Congratulations on the completing your 34th deployment! Enjoy your summer!

"Things are amazingly problematic at present." What a gracious way of saying it. My problem is that when I read XYZ. I take it literally. After all this time, I still haven't adjusted to the Biblical way of framing prophecy. Thank you for being a counter-balance to my sometimes out of control speculation. Sometimes I get caught between Ecclesiastes 7:10 "not wise to ask why were the former days better" and Jeremiah 6:16 "...ask for the old paths, where is the good way..." I would prefer the later, but sadly, that's not to be.

Recently, the headlines were memorializing the Armenian genocide. This has been going on for a long time but I don't recall any time before the 20th century where it was executed on this scale. Thanks for bearing with me.

Needless to say, should you want to send any of that rain this way, it would be appreciated. We've had two weeks or so with rain in the forecast, but so far, all we've had is dimples in the dust. Watering has a natural limit because there's so much lime in the water. Watering from the well is no substitute for real rain.

In our Lord,
Response #19:
Re: "enjoy", that will be tempered by all the research I've got to get done. At least I'm almost ready to dive in. Put in my grades on Friday. Spent all morning yesterday and today on the yards. Getting close to being able to move into "summer management phase" after all the planting and raking and such. New trees in and a number of new beds. We'll see how it all works out.

Whatever things work out to be on the macro level, the micro one is the one we all need to stay focused on. We're dealing with "now" and given the right not to obsess over yesterday (which can't be changed, after all), or worry about tomorrow (which we're not even sure we'll be given: cf. Jas.4:14). The Lord can bring trouble to any wicked even in wonderful times; likewise He can bless and protect the righteous, even in the midst of tribulation (small and also capital "T"). So our job as believers is to follow Him today, doing what He wants us to do today, learning to walk closer with Him today. If we do that, all the yesterdays and tomorrows will take care of themselves, already firmly fixed in the all-comprehensive plan of God as they are.

Sorry about the drought! The rain has stopped here but we have no issues with watering as city water all comes out of the Ohio.

Keeping you in my daily prayers, my friend.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
Question #20:
Hi Bob,

"Enjoy" may be a euphemism -- particularly if you have a publishing deadline. I appreciate your prayers. Thank you. There are times when I brood on all the issues I have and start spiraling into a bit of depression. Then, I think of Job and realize I have absolutely nothing to complain about. Things will turn out for the best in the end.

I envy all your yard work, Living alone in the boonies where no one can see me and no regulations, I get lazy. I did get a few seeds planted. Mostly herbs for pesto and such. Still to go are peppers. I did get some summer squash in -- Cocozelle. Zucchini seems to be noblesse oblige and usable in so many ways. So I did my part.

Your post this weekend was rewarding. A thought occurred to me; if Pharaoh's magicians could duplicate Moses' miracles, evil sorcery must be real. If they could do some of those things, they could do others, e.g., raising Saul's ghost was probably real. That raises the question: what are those evil spirits doing today?

Otherwise, all is well here. I've lost all my authority. Even the mocking birds and rabbits pay me no mind. The livestock next door are only interested in me if I pull some grass for them. Such is life on the prairie.

Yours in our Lord,
Response #20:
Regarding false miracles, we see the same sort of thing with Simon Magus. Clearly, demons are capable of doing supernatural things. After all, they were able to destroy all of Job's wealth and kill his children as well – but only after God allowed it (cf. also Gen.6). That would seem to be the operative principle with all such things. No doubt the evil one and his minions would be doing all manner of "miraculous" things, were they not in fear of being cast into the Abyss for violating the current "ground rules". These will apparently be greatly eased during the Tribulation:
"For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect."
Matthew 24:24 NKJV
As long as we keep growing in the truth and putting what we know and understand through faith in that truth, we won't be deceived and we'll be ready for whatever comes.

Trying a few herbs and veggies this year here as well. The squirrels should be delighted.

Keeping you in my prayers, my friend.

In Jesus,

Bob L.
http://ichthys.com/