destruction of Jerusalem – La Vista Church of Christ

Zephaniah: Judgment Is Coming!

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 29 Jun 2025 20:23:00 +0000

by Rick Duggin

Most people have trouble finding Zephaniah's fifty-three verses. Because of its brevity, we label Zephaniah as a minor prophet, but any student of the book can affirm that length is the only "minor matter" about the man or his message.

Prophesying more than 600 years before Christ, Zephaniah traces his genealogy back four generations to Hezekiah (Zephaniah 1:1), also linking himself to the current ruler, Josiah. Ties to the royal family do not tongue-tie the prophet. No sooner does he finish his introduction than he unveils a fearful forecast of God's approaching judgment.

Zephaniah repeatedly refers to the day of the Lord (the day of His judgment) when He will

destroy Judah (Zephaniah 1:2-2:3);
devastate nations (Zephaniah 2:4-3:8);
and display His incredible mercy (Zephaniah 3:9-20).

Judgment is coming to Judah.

The Time of Judgment (Zephaniah 1:1)

It will be a period of great lawlessness. When apostasy prevails, sin enjoys widespread acceptance, evil dominates the news, and timid disciples surrender to an unbelieving world. But flowers still grow as the Creator intended, and the faithful few continue to serve Him despite worldwide opposition.

Zephaniah minces no words; he shows no favoritism. Like Elijah before him, he would rather die than surrender to Baal. Though his unpopular message could increase his chances of suffering royal wrath, his allegiance to the Lord trumps all fear.

Most people complied with Josiah's reforms because of political expedience, not sincere conversion. "And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah has not turned to Me with her whole heart, but in pretense, says the Lord" (Jeremiah 3:10). Josiah's untimely death freed a nation of hypocrites from the shackles of God's law. They quickly returned to business as usual, ignoring God's blessings and certain judgment.

The Terror of the Judgment (Zephaniah 1:2-4)

Judah would vanish. The Creator would become the Destroyer. God's outstretched hand had once rescued His people from Egyptian bondage (Exodus 3:20); now it would stretch out against Judah to "cut off" man (3) and Baal (4). Neither idols nor allies could save them.

Zephaniah's expressive illustrations surely captured the concern of his audience. He pictured Judah's princes in foreign clothes (Zephaniah 1:8), exposing their unholy allegiance (Jeremiah 2:18).

"Leaping over the threshold" (Zephaniah 1:9) recalls 1 Samuel 5:5, though Zephaniah apparently uses the expression to condemn violence and fraud.

"Maktesh" (inhabitants of the Mortar, Zephaniah 1:11) evokes the image of a druggist grinding medicine with a pestle and mortar. God's pestle of judgment would grind these people to dust. His power, which once protected Judah, would now pulverize them.

The Targets of Judgment (Zephaniah 1:5-2:3)

"If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31) must be reversed for apostates: "If God is against us, who can be for us?" If it is frightening to stand before human judges, how must Judah feel standing before the Almighty Judge to hear these charges:

Pluralists (God's religion is one among many, Zephaniah 5-6). They forgot the lessons of Carmel (I Kings 18), forsaking the Lord for idols.
Traitors in high places (Zephaniah 1:8), ending in Hezekiah's descendants serving as "eunuchs in the palace of Babylon" (II Kings 20:18).
Thieves and liars (Zephaniah 1:9) depict an iron rule policy: "What's yours is mine if I can take it."
Materialists (Zephaniah 1:11), whose motto is "When in Canaan, do as the Canaanites."
Complacent, settled on their lees (dregs, sediment of wine that thickens into syrup), portraying satisfaction in sin and unconcern for God's word (Zephaniah 1:12).
Shameless (Zephaniah 2:1). They lost their ability to blush (Jeremiah 6:15).
Rebels, stubborn, faithless, and spiritually aloof (Zephaniah 3:1-2). Like Sodom, Judah's righteous people have become an endangered species (Genesis 18). Like the Amorites, Judah's cup would soon overflow with lawlessness (Genesis 15:16). Their party is over. God would turn out the lights. Foreign armies would storm the city, shedding blood, taking prisoners, and removing everything the Jews held precious. The tragedy of 9/11 cannot compare with their prolonged panic.

The Termination of Judgment

While speaking of doom, Zephaniah suddenly remembers God's incredible mercy. It would "hide" a righteous remnant (Zephaniah 2:3), possibly a word play on Zephaniah's name (Yahweh hides). Those who heed Zephaniah's warnings will seek God (Zephaniah 2:1-3). Jesus teaches His disciples that worldly tragedies should inspire repentance (Luke 13:1-5).

Zephaniah's most amazing feature may be its enduring relevance. Though he wrote 2,600 years ago, the prophet's ancient wakeup call still encourages modern readers to prepare for their own Judgment, for "All news is old news happening to new people."

The problem with our country is not "the economy, stupid," but dissipation and disrespect for God's word. A mere change of leaders cannot solve our sin crisis (Proverbs 14:34). But do not be afraid. Keep on serving God. Through it all, He will not forget His people.

Jesus’ and Daniel’s Amazing Prophecy

Jeffrey Hamilton — Fri, 30 Aug 2024 14:01:30 +0000

by Terry Wane Benton

Consider one of the most amazing prophecies in all of Scripture. Jesus is leaving the temple when his disciples call his attention to its buildings. As they gaze upon the temple's massive stone and magnificent buildings, Jesus utters the unthinkable: "I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down" (Matthew 24:2; see also Mark 13:2 and Luke 21:6). One generation later this prophecy, no doubt still emblazoned upon the tablet of their consciousness, became a vivid and horrifying reality. [Hank Hanegraff, Has God Spoke? Memorable Proofs of the Bible's Divine Inspiration, p.30].

Daniel 9:24ff prophesied that after the Messiah was “cut off,” the temple would be destroyed. Jesus and Daniel, by the Holy Spirit, team together to forever demonstrate that Jesus and the Old Testament prophecies are one unit under God’s approval. The temple fell to the Romans in AD 70, proving both Daniel and Jesus were correct, and the Jews suffered rejection by God.

All of this is too amazing to dismiss as a lucky guess. The Roman government had only recently helped rebuild and refurbish the temple compound and would dismantle it in less than 60 years. Daniel pinpointed it in time (Daniel 9:24f). Jesus was cut off according to that prophecy. Shortly after, the relatively new temple was torn down in “this generation” (Matthew 24). It forever verifies that God confirms the scriptures of the Bible and Jesus. No man by human wisdom alone could get these things right by lucky guess! This is the wisdom and work of God.

Christ is the dependable rock on which we must stand. Are you standing on this solid Rock?

I Thessalonians 5:4 and the Destruction of Jerusalem

Jeffrey Hamilton — Sun, 23 Jul 2023 20:40:18 +0000

by Terry Wane Benton

Is “this day” (I Thessalonians 5:4) the destruction of Jerusalem?

No! If “this day” is talking to the Thessalonians about the coming of the Lord in wrath on Jerusalem:

How would that day overtake the Thessalonians as a thief?
How did “sudden destruction” overtake any Thessalonians?
Why did everyone “escape?” (I Thessalonians 5:3)?
Were all the Thessalonian brethren “caught up” to meet the Lord in the air (I Thessalonians 4:17) in AD 70?

If not, then the Lord Himself did not descend from heaven with a shout, and the dead were not raised in AD 70, and the whole doctrinal deck of cards played by Realized Eschatologists falls flat and they are caught being false teachers who must be marked and avoided (Romans 16:17).

Compare Babylonian “Coming” with the Roman “Coming”

Jeffrey Hamilton — Thu, 28 Oct 2021 16:43:40 +0000

by Terry Wane Benton

Both times Jerusalem was destroyed it was the coming of the Lord by means of a powerful nation.

When the Babylonians invaded and destroyed Jerusalem in 586 BC it was the Lord of Hosts (later named Jesus) who came in “glory” (Isaiah 2:12-22). The Lord came in His glory. He came to take “vengeance” (Isaiah 1:24). Thus, it was the Lord coming in glory to take vengeance.

There is a comparison in both cases (Babylonian invasion and the Roman invasion of AD 70) where there is mention of the Jews being His “vineyard” (Isaiah 5:4,7). There is “darkness” and clouds (Isa.5:30) in both invasions. There is “desolate” or “desolation” in both cases (Isaiah 6:11), Heaviness and sorrow are connected with both. The Lord encamped against them (Isaiah 29:2-3). Yes, the Lord came to encamp against Jerusalem during both invasions. There is “thunder and earthquake and great noise” (Isaiah 29:6) in both cases.

But the Babylonian “coming” of the Lord was not the “first coming” of the Lord, and therefore, the Roman “coming of the Lord” could not be “the second coming” of the Lord. Those kinds of “comings” are numerous. They do not fit into the two comings that are personal and visible of the “Lord himself”. There are two of those, but numerous times of the Lord coming by means of various armies against Israel, Judah, Egypt, Babylon, etc. Those are each said to be a visit or coming of the Lord either in wrath against a city or nation or in coming to bless and protect (Isaiah 31:4-5). Those kinds of comings were never in person with a visible form of His presence.

"And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once and after this comes judgment, so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him" (Hebrews 9:27-28).

When Hebrews 9 speaks of the first and second coming, He is speaking of the first time in the flesh to offer Himself as a sacrifice for our sins, and the second time will also be personal and visible when He takes away the saved to glory in heaven when we see him as he is (I John 3:1-3).

But the judgment on Jerusalem is not the second coming. It is one of many of that kind. Do not be deceived!

Jerusalem’s Fall

Jeffrey Hamilton — Fri, 16 Jul 2021 14:08:07 +0000

by Terry Wane Benton

Though Jerusalem had been destroyed during the Babylonian period (536 BC) as predicted by Jeremiah, it was also predicted that the Lord of hosts would be riding on the clouds to bring about that fall, and later the fall of Babylon, which was used to bring about the 70-year captivity of the Jews (Isaiah 13, 19). Jerusalem would be rebuilt in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah. Daniel looked way past that time to the day of the Messiah and predicted that after the Messiah was cut off (Jesus the Messiah was crucified) the temple would be destroyed one final time (Daniel 9:24ff). Jesus said it would happen in that very generation (Matthew 24:1-34). By AD 70, not one stone was left upon another.

The fall of Jerusalem was and has always been proof of God’s word, and further proof that Jesus really is God’s Son, the fullness of deity. The temple system has not been rebuilt since then and never will. Jesus is now the Great High priest, and His temple is spiritual (Ephesians 2:18-21; I Peter 2:5-9), not material and physical. This spiritual house is far greater than that physical temple had ever been in all its glory. As a type can never be greater than its spiritual antitype. Spiritual riches are far more valuable than material riches. When the Jerusalem temple went down according to Jesus’ word, it forever verified that God had indeed rejected Judaism, and only when they come to Jesus, the only way, can they be grafted back into God’s blessed vine (Romans 11). The true Israel is the church of Christ composed of believing (in Jesus) Jews and Gentiles. Our Jerusalem is above, not the ruined one below (Galatians 4:24f).

The name of Jesus be praised!

What does “until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” mean?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Tue, 22 Dec 2020 18:05:59 +0000

Question:

Please explain "until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled" from Luke 21:24.

Thanks.

Answer:

"But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near. Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are in the midst of the city must leave, and those who are in the country must not enter the city; because these are days of vengeance, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days; for there will be great distress upon the land and wrath to this people; and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled" (Luke 21:24).

To understand a phrase, we must make sure we understand the context in which the phrase appears. Jesus is discussing the destruction of Jerusalem and giving his followers instructions so that they will not be caught in its destruction. The fall of Jerusalem was devastating. Josephus said the destruction of the city and temple was so complete that those who visited it afterward could hardly believe that it had ever been inhabited [Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, 7.1]. Those who did not die in the actual destruction of Jerusalem were hauled off into slavery and scattered through the Roman Empire.

Jesus declares that Jerusalem would be turned over to the Gentiles to be trampled by them until their time is completed. How much time that would be was left open. Some connect this to Romans 11:25, but the topic in Romans is completely different from what it is here in Luke 21. Rather Jesus is stating that just as God would use the Gentiles (the Romans) to bring judgment on Jerusalem, so too would the Gentiles face judgment when their time is complete.

This is not unusual. God has done this before. For example, Babylon was brought in to punish Judah (Habakkuk 1:6), and then it to was destroyed -- "they will be held guilty" (Habakkuk 1:11).

The Anointing of the Spirit

Jeffrey Hamilton — Tue, 29 Oct 2019 20:58:11 +0000

Text: I John 2:18-29

I. The other day, one of my boys needed help with a math problem, so I asked him to show me the problem. He brought in his paper on which he was working.

A. “No,” I said, “I need to see the original problem in the book.”

B. “But I copied just as it was written!”

C. I replied that if I used his work then I am likely to make the same mistake, being influenced by what he wrote.

D. He got the book and as I translated the word problem into a mathematical formula, he suddenly said, “Oh, I reversed two things in the last line. No wonder the answer wasn’t coming out right.”

E. You know, I wouldn’t have found the problem if I didn’t go straight to the source.

F. It is no different in my day-to-day work.

1. I talk to many people about various concepts in the Scriptures. They will make points, citing passages to back themselves up, and if I just accepted what they said I’m sure I would be going down some fairly strange paths.

2. It is amazing how easily difficult, twisted false teaching can be laid to rest if you just go back to the source and look at the problem in the context that it is originally presented.

G. To illustrate this, let us look at some popular ideas concerning the Holy Spirit.

II. How do you explain that some people are drawn by the gospel and others hear the same message and are unaffected?

A. The popular answer among charismatic groups is that the difference is the influence of the Spirit.

1. God, we are told, sends His Spirit to certain individuals to draw men to him. (John 6:44)

2. Man is so sinful, he cannot comprehend the teaching of the Spirit. It takes the Spirit, who knows the mind of God, to unlock the sinner’s heart to understand what God is teaching (I Corinthians 2:11-14)

B. Examine the context of John 6:44

1. John 6:41-42 - The Jews were upset about Jesus’ claim that he came from heaven.

2. Jesus told them to quit grumbling about the statement. The reason they would not accept it was because they were not drawn by God - John 6:43-44

3. If we stopped there, we leave a big mystery. Don’t you just love mysteries?

a. A lot of people like to speculate and here is a statement that has brought on a lot of speculations.

b. Yet, the truth is in the verse that follows.

4. John 6:45

a. God does the drawing. But it is a mistake to assume that the Spirit comes down and pulls certain people to God.

b. God draws by the words taught. This Bible is the lure!

c. When a person is willing to sit down and listen to what God has to say, it will produce belief in him that will lead to life - John 6:47

5. This is no different than what Paul taught - Romans 10:8-10, 17

6. “Aw, but that’s no fun. Where is the mystery! Where’s the mystic!”

7. The mystery is that people overlook the obvious.

a. A radio personality, Dr. Dean Edell likes to use the question “Why look for zebras when horses will do?”

b. By that he means when searching for explanation for a medical ailment, start with common, everyday explanations. It is more likely to be right than the exotic answer.

c. So many want an exotic answer from God, they overlook the obvious answer that is right in front of them.

C. Examine the context of I Corinthians 2:11-14

1. The context starts at 1:18 when Paul notes the difference in reaction to the gospel.

a. The difference comes from the method God used to spread the message - I Corinthians 1:21

(1) People are looking for something more - I Corinthians 1:22-24

b. The message was not of the creation of man, but of God - I Corinthians 2:6-7

(1) The message was inspired by God’s Spirit - I Corinthians 2:10

(2) It was given to the apostles - I Corinthians 2:12-13

c. Because of its spiritual source, it is reject by worldly men - I Corinthians 2:14

2. Paul’s point is that the message he delivered could not have been from man because men rejected it.

a. The message was something that men could not have created because it was beyond their ability

b. Men cannot know the mind of God. God must revel Himself to man.

c. Paul makes the same point elsewhere - Galatians 1:11-12

3. The charismatics take a passage dealing with the inspiration of the message and apply it to every man.

III. The Spirit guides you and shows you what is right and wrong.

A. Charismatics will cite I John 2:20, 27 as proof

1. Exactly what is this guiding is left in mysterious vagueness.

2. Some argue that the Spirit keeps a child of God from sin.

3. Others, seeing that Christians do sin at times and realizing they can’t say the Spirit allowed the sin to happen, say that the Spirit guides, but we can resist the guidance – like having a person next to you giving directions but then going your own way.

B. What exactly is the anointing of the Spirit?

1. It is defined in Luke 4:18-19.

a. Christ, quoting Isaiah, defines it as being divinely dedicated to the teaching of God’s word.

b. In other words, we are speaking of having gifts of the Spirit

c. Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit - Acts 10:38

d. This is what Christ or Messiah means: the Anointed One

2. Paul said that the apostles were also anointed by the Spirt - II Corinthians 1:19-22

a. This was promised by Jesus - John 14:25-26; 16:13

b. Paul said they were established (or confirmed) by God in II Corinthians 1:21 - This too is what Jesus had promised - Mark 16:20

c. Much of II Corinthians is Paul’s defense of his apostleship against false prophets. Paul shows his apostleship by the evidence of the Spirit and shows that the false apostles cannot match that evidence.

C. Examine the context of I John 2:20, 27

1. John said it was the last hour when the antichrist would come, in fact many have already arisen. - I John 2:18

a. The context deals with events current to the first century.

b. The prophecy is the one Jesus made in Matthew 24:23-25, 33

c. John is basically saying that the time for Jerusalem’s destruction is getting close.

2. These false Christs when out from among the true Christians - I John 2:19

a. Jude, speaking of these same people - Jude 17-19

3. John said the Christians of this time should not deceived because they have an anointing of the Spirit (the gifts of the Spirit)

a. One of the gifts of the Spirit was the discerning of spirits - I Corinthians 12:10

b. The same Spirit gave gifts of understanding. These people knew the truth. They would see that a liar is against Christ.

c. This is why John said in verse 27 that the anointing would teach them all things.

d. When God gives a message, it is consistent. He doesn’t tell one person one thing and other person something else - I John 4:1-3, 5-6

(1) Paul gives the same challenge - I Corinthians 14:37-38

4. In other words John is warning Christians in the first century to use their spiritual gifts to prevent them from being persuaded by false prophets as events geared up to the destruction of Jerusalem. - I John 2:26

a. While the principles can help us in our struggles today, we do not have the means of spiritual gifts to aid us - I Corinthians 13:8-10

b. We have to compare what is taught against the words revealed. - Galatians 1:8-9

IV. Phrases and verses can be taken out of context and made to see to say things quite different from what the original source states.

A. The only way to combat these errors is to go back to the source.

Does Matthew 16:27 refer to Judgment Day?

Jeffrey Hamilton — Wed, 09 Oct 2019 19:35:09 +0000

Question:

I have difficulty understanding Matthew 16:27. Does it refer to the Day of Judgment or is it an allusion to Daniel's prophecy in Daniel 7?

I read two articles on your site and there are different views on both of them.

How Could a Loving God Send Me to Hell? says Matthew 16:27 refers to the Judgment Day.
The Glory and Kingdom of the Son says Matthew 16:27 is an allusion to Daniel 7 prophecy.

Please clarify because I am convinced that the "kingdom of God" in Matthew 16:28 refers to the church. But many say that according to the context it could refer to Second Coming and that death is the death during baptism.

Answer:

When trying to understand a passage in the gospels, it is useful to look at the parallel accounts of the same event for additional details.

"From that time Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day. Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, 'God forbid it, Lord! This shall never happen to You.' But He turned and said to Peter, 'Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's.' Then Jesus said to His disciples, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it. For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and will then repay every man according to his deeds. Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom'" (Matthew 16:24-28).

"And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and said, 'Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God's interests, but man's.' And He summoned the crowd with His disciples, and said to them, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel's will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.' And Jesus was saying to them, 'Truly I say to you, there are some of those who are standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God after it has come with power'" (Mark 8:31-9:1).

"But He warned them and instructed them not to tell this to anyone, saying, 'The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.' And He was saying to them all, 'If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God'" (Luke 9:21-27).

The descriptions in Matthew 16:27-28, Mark 8: 38-9:1, and Luke 9:26-27 are that when Jesus comes in glory and his kingdom, he will also bring judgment. His exalted position gives him the right to judge and to execute that judgment. Jesus could be referring to his right to bring judgment at the end of the world, or he could be referring to his right to judge Israel for rejecting him and his kingdom. Jesus' glory, his dominion, his right to judge, and his judgment against Jerusalem all came within the lifetime of those listening to Jesus' words. A third possibility is that Jesus is talking immediately about the judgment that will take place against Israel but he worded it generally enough so that we understand that such judgment will remain true when he returns for the final judgment.

This theme of judgment for rejecting the Lord appears in several teachings:

"But afterward he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But when the vine-growers saw the son, they said among themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.' They took him, and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Therefore when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vine-growers?" They said to Him, "He will bring those wretches to a wretched end, and will rent out the vineyard to other vine-growers who will pay him the proceeds at the proper seasons." Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures, 'The stone which the builders rejected, this became the chief corner stone; this came about from the LORD, and it is marvelous in our eyes'? Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it. And he who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will scatter him like dust." When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them" (Matthew 21:37-44).

"Again he sent out other slaves saying, 'Tell those who have been invited, "Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my oxen and my fattened livestock are all butchered and everything is ready; come to the wedding feast."' But they paid no attention and went their way, one to his own farm, another to his business, and the rest seized his slaves and mistreated them and killed them. But the king was enraged, and he sent his armies and destroyed those murderers and set their city on fire" (Matthew 22:4-7).

"So He said, "A nobleman went to a distant country to receive a kingdom for himself, and then return. ... But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, 'We do not want this man to reign over us.' When he returned, after receiving the kingdom ... 'But these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slay them in my presence'" (Luke 19:12,14-15,27).

"When He approached Jerusalem, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, 'If you had known in this day, even you, the things which make for peace! But now they have been hidden from your eyes. For the days will come upon you when your enemies will throw up a barricade against you, and surround you and hem you in on every side, and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation'" (Luke 19:41-44).

"But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her desolation is near. Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains, and those who are in the midst of the city must leave, and those who are in the country must not enter the city; because these are days of vengeance, so that all things which are written will be fulfilled. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days; for there will be great distress upon the land and wrath to this people; and they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled under foot by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled" (Luke 21:20-24).

Your site is one of my favorites

Jeffrey Hamilton — Tue, 27 Mar 2018 02:42:00 +0000

Question:

Hello,

I just had to thank you again for your site. I consider it a favorite. I loved your article on Matthew 24. I think it is right on. I am in what you might call an institutional church of Christ.

Thanks again.

Answer:

I'm glad you are finding the material useful in your studies.

Your notes on Matthew 24 really help

Jeffrey Hamilton — Tue, 15 May 2012 03:29:00 +0000

Question:

I am a student of Theology. I love your website. I stumbled on it through Google's search engine while trying to research the events in Matthew 24.

I appreciate your explanatory notes on the subject because it proffers a solution to the assignment given to me from school.

I pray that Jesus Christ will continue to water your ministry.

Answer:

I'm glad to be of service.