02.36. CHAPTER XXX THE LAST WEEK OF THE EARTHLY MINISTRY OF JESUS ACCORDING TO THE GOSPEL ...
CHAPTER XXX THE LAST WEEK OF THE EARTHLY MINISTRY OF JESUS ACCORDING TO THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW (Matthew 21:1-46; Matthew 22:1-46; Matthew 23:1-39; Matthew 24:1-51; Matthew 25:1-46; Matthew 26:1-75; Matthew 27:1-66) And when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, Go to the village which is opposite you, and immediately you will find an ass tied and a colt with her; untie them and lead them to me. And if any one shall say anything to you, say, Their Lord has need of them; and immediately he will send them. Now this has come to pass in order that the word might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet, saying,
Speak to the daughter of Zion, Behold, your king comes to you, Meek, and riding upon an ass, And upon a colt, the foal of a beast of burden. ¹
¹ Zechariah 9:9. And the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them, and brought the ass and the colt, and laid their garments on them; and He sat upon them. And a very great crowd spread their garments on the road; but others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the multitudes going before Him, and those following Him, kept crying out, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David. Blessed is the one coming in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. And when He entered into Jerusalem, all the city was shaken, saying, Who is this? And the multitudes kept saying, This is the prophet, Jesus, who is of Nazareth of Galilee. And Jesus entered into the temple and cast out all those that sold and bought in the temple, and the tables of the money-changers He turned over, and the seats of those that sold the doves; and He said to them, It is written, My house shall be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of thieves. And the blind and the lame came to Him in the temple, and He healed them. When the chief priests and the scribes saw the wonderful things which He did, and the young children shouting in the temple and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David, they became indignant; and said to Him, Dost Thou hear what these are saying? And Jesus said to them, Yes, but did you never read that out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou hast ordained praise? ² And leaving them, He went out of the city to Bethany and lodged there.
² Psalms 8:2. In the morning as He was entering into the city, He became hungry. And when He saw a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it, except leaves only; and He said to it, Nevermore shall there be fruit from you. And immediately the fig tree was withered. When the disciples saw it, they marveled, saying, How quickly the fig tree has withered away. Replying, Jesus said to them, In solemn truth I am telling you, If you have faith and do not doubt, not only that which was done to the fig tree will you do, but you will also say to this mountain, Be taken up and cast into the sea, and it shall be done; and all things whatsoever you ask in prayer, believing, you shall receive.
After He had entered into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him as He was teaching, saying, By what authority art Thou doing these things? And who gave Thee this authority? But Jesus, replying, said to them, I also shall ask you one question, which if you tell me, I also shall tell you by what authority I am doing these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven or from men? But they kept reasoning within themselves, saying, If we shall say, From heaven, He will say to us, Why, therefore, did you not believe him? And if we shall say, From men, we are afraid of the multitude, for all hold John as a prophet. Replying to Jesus, they said, We do not know. And He said to them, I shall not tell you by what authority I am doing these things. What do you think? A man had two sons. Going to the first, he said, Son, go work today in the vineyard. In reply he said, Yes, sir I go; but he did not go. Going to the second one, he said likewise. But replying, he said, I will not; but later, having remorse, he went. Which of the two did the will of the father? They answered, The latter. Jesus said to them, In solemn truth I am telling you that the taxcollectors and the harlots are preceding you into the kingdom of God. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the taxcollectors and the harlots believed him; and you, when you saw, neither repented later to believe him.
Hear another parable. There was a man, a householder, who planted a vineyard and placed a hedge round about it, and hewed out a wine vat in it, and built a watchtower, and turned it over to workmen, and went abroad. When the season of fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the workmen to receive his fruits. And the workmen seized his servants—one they beat, another they killed, and another they stoned. Again he sent other servants more numerous than the first, and they did to them likewise. Later he sent to them his son, saying, They will respect my son. But the workmen, when they saw the son, said within themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him and take his inheritance; and, seizing him, they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. When, therefore, the master of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those workmen? They say to Him, he will ruthlessly destroy those evil men, and he will turn over the vineyard to other workmen, who will deliver to him the fruits in their season. Jesus said to them, Did you never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, The same has become the head of the corner; This is from the Lord, And it is a marvel in our eyes? ³
³ Psalms 118:22-23. On account of this, I am telling you that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and will be given to a nation yielding its fruits. And the one falling upon this stone will be broken to pieces; but, upon whomsoever it falls, it will grind him to powder. And when the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they knew that He was speaking concerning them; and they kept seeking to seize Him, but they were afraid of the multitudes, since they held Him as a prophet. And replying, Jesus again spoke to them in parables, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a king who made marriage festivities for his son. And he sent his servants to call those who had been invited to the festivities, but they did not want to come. Again he sent other servants, saying, Tell those who have been invited, Behold, my dinner is prepared, my oxen and grain-fed cattle have been slaughtered, and all things are ready; come to the marriage festivities. But they, not being interested, went away: one to his own field, another to his store; but the rest seized his servants, and mistreated them, and killed them. And the king became indignant, and sent his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, The marriage feast is ready, but those who have been invited were not worthy. Go, therefore, to the parting of the ways, and as many as you find, call to the marriage festivities. And those servants went out into the roads and gathered together all whom they found, both evil and good, and the place of the wedding feast was filled with those who were reclining. And the king entered to see those who were reclining and saw there a man not clothed with a wedding garment; and he said to him, Friend, how did you come here, not having a wedding garment? But he was silent. Then the king said to his servants, Bind his feet and hands, and cast him into the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.
Then the Pharisees went out and took counsel in order that they might ensnare Him with a word. And they sent their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Teacher, we know that Thou art true and that Thou teachest the way of God in truth and dost not care for the person of anyone, for Thou dost not regard the person of man. Tell us, therefore, what do you think? Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar or not? But Jesus, knowing their evil design, said, Why are you trying to tempt me, you hypocrites? Show me a coin of tribute money. And they brought to Him a denarius. And He said to them, Whose image and inscription is this? They said, Caesar’s. Then He said to them, Give, therefore, to Caesar the things of Caesar; and the things of God, to God. When they heard this, they marveled and, leaving Him, went away. On that day the Sadducees, who say that there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying, Teacher, Moses said, If anyone die, not having children, his brother shall marry his wife and shall raise up seed to his brother.4 Now there were with us seven brothers; and the first married and died; but, having no seed, he left his wife to his brother; likewise also the second, and the third—unto the seventh. Last of all, the woman died. In the resurrection, therefore, of which of the seven will she be the wife, for all had her? Replying, Jesus said to them, You go astray, since you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels in heaven. Concerning the resurrection of the dead, did you never read the word spoken to you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. When the multitudes heard this, they were amazed at His teaching.
4 Deuteronomy 25:5. When the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they were gathered together in one place. And one of them, a lawyer, trying Him, asked, Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law? And He said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and all your soul and all your mind.5 This is the great and first commandment. A second like it is, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.6 On these two commandments the entire law and the prophets hang.
6 Leviticus 19:18. When the Pharisees were come together, Jesus asked them, saying, What do you think concerning the Messiah? Whose Son is He? They said unto Him, The Son of David. He said to them, How, therefore, does David in the Spirit call Him Lord, saying, The Lord Said to my Lord, Remain seated at My right hand, Until I make Thy enemies the footstool of Thy feet? 7
7 Psalms 110:1.
If, therefore, David calls Him Lord, how is He His Son? And no one was able to reply one word to Him; neither did anyone attempt from that day to ask Him any more questions.
Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat. All things, therefore, whatsoever they say to you, do and observe; but do not act according to their works; for they say, but they do not. They bind heavy burdens and lay them upon the shoulders of men, but they are not willing to move these with their finger. All their works they do in order to be seen by men; for they enlarge their phylacteries; and they make large the border of their garments, and they love the first places in the banquets, and the chief seats in the synagogues, and the salutations in the market places, and to be called by men, Rabbi. But you must not be called Rabbi, for one is your teacher, and all of you are brethren. Call no man your father upon the earth, for one is your Father, even He who is in heaven. Be not called masters, because one is your master, even the Messiah. The greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you are locking the kingdom of heaven in the presence of men; for you are not entering; neither do you allow them to enter who are entering.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you encompass the sea and the desert to make one proselyte; and, whenever one becomes such, you make him a son of Gehenna by twofold.
Woe unto you, blind guides, who say, Whoever swears by the temple, it is nothing, but whoever swears by the gold of the temple is obligated. Morons and blind, for which is greater, the gold or the temple which sanctifies the gold? And whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing, but whoever swears by the gift which is upon the altar is obligated. Blind ones, for which is greater, the gift or the altar which sanctifies the gift? Therefore the one swearing by the altar swears by it and by all that is upon it, and the one who swears by the temple swears by it and by Him who dwells therein; and the one who swears by heaven swears by the throne of God and by Him who sits upon it.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you tithe mint, and anise, and cummin, and you pass by the weightier things of the law—even justice, and mercy, and faith; but these things you ought to have done and not to have left the other undone. Blind guides, who strain out gnats, but swallow camels!
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you clean the outside of the cup and of the plate, but within they are full of extortion and graft. 0 blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup in order that the outside also may be clean.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you are like whited sepulchres, which on the outside appear beautiful, but within are full of bones of dead men, and of all uncleanness. Likewise you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you build the tombs of the prophets, and adorn the sepulchres of the righteous, and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers in the blood of the prophets. So you witness to yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets. And you have filled up the measure of your fathers. Snakes, generation of vipers! How will you escape from the condemnation of Gehenna? Therefore, lo, I shall send to you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, in order that there may come upon you all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the righteous to the blood of Zachariah, the son of Barachiah, whom you slew between the temple and the altar. In solemn truth I am telling you, all these things will come upon this generation.
Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that kills the prophets and stones them that are sent to her, how often I willed to gather together your children, as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, but you willed not. Behold, your house is left to you desolate. For I am telling you that by no means will you see me from now on until you say, Blessed is the one coming in the name of the Lord.8 8 Psalms 118:26. When Jesus had come out from the temple, He went on His way, and His disciples came to show Him the buildings of the temple. And replying, He said to them, Do you not see all these things? In solemn truth I tell you that stone will not remain upon stone that will not be thrown down. When He was sitting upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Thy coming and of the consummation of the age? And replying, Jesus said to them, See that no one lead you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, I am the Messiah, and will lead many astray. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you be not troubled, for it is necessary that these things be, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in different places; but all these things are the first birth pain. Then they will deliver you to tribulation and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations on account of My name. And then many will be caused to stumble, and will deliver up one another, and will hate one another; and many false prophets will arise and will lead many astray; and, on account of the increase of lawlessness, the love of the many shall become cold. But the one enduring to the end, this one will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world for a testimony to all the nations, and then will the end come.
When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the Prophet, standing in the holy place, let the one reading understand; then those who are in Judea, let them flee to the mountains; the one who is on the housetop, let him not come down to take the things out of the house; and the one who is in the field, let him not return to take his cloak. Woe to those who are expectant mothers and to those who are nursing children in those days! But pray that your flight may not be during the winter nor on a sabbath; for there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the foundation of the world until now, nor ever will be. And except those days had been shortened, no flesh would be saved; but, on account of the elect, those days will be shortened. Then if anyone says to you, Behold, here is the Messiah, or, here, do not believe. For false messiahs and false prophets will arise, and they will give great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Behold, I have told you in advance. If, therefore, they say to you, Behold, he is in the desert, do not go out; Behold, in the inner chambers, do not believe. For just as the lightning comes out of the east and flashes to the west, thus will the coming of the Son of man be. Wherever the carcass is, there will be gathered the vultures. But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give her light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then will appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven, and then will all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they will see the Son of man coming upon the clouds of heaven with power and great glory, and He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the extremities of the heavens unto their extremities. But from the fig tree learn her parable. Whenever her branch has become tender and it puts forth its leaves, know that the summer is near. Thus, also, you, whenever you see all these things, know that He is near, even at the doors. In solemn truth I am telling you that this generation will not pass away until all these things are accomplished. The heaven and the earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. But concerning that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels of the heavens, nor the Son—except the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, thus will be the coming of the Son of man. For as they were in those days which were before the flood, eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah entered into the ark, and they knew not until the flood came and took them all away, thus will the coming of the Son of man be. Then will be two men in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at a mill: one will be taken, and one will be left. Watch, therefore, because you do not know on what day your Lord comes. But know this, that, if the householder had known in what watch the thief was coming, he would have watched and would not have suffered his house to be broken in. Wherefore you also be ready, because, in an hour when you think not, the Son of man comes. Who, therefore, is the faithful and wise servant whom the lord will set over his household to give to them their food in due time? Blessed is that servant whom his lord, coming, will find thus acting. In solemn truth I tell you that he will place him over all his goods. But if that evil servant says in his heart, My master delays, and begins to smite his fellow servants, and eats and drinks with the drunken, the lord of that servant will come in a day when he does not expect and in an hour when he knows not, and he will cut him asunder, and he will give him his portion with the hypocrites. There will be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth.
Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who, taking their own lamps, went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were foolish; and five, wise. For the foolish ones, taking their lamps, did not take oil with them. But the wise took oil in vessels with their lamps. Since the bridegroom tarried, all began nodding and kept on sleeping. In the middle of the night, the cry was made, Behold, the bridegroom! Go out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. The foolish said to the wise, Give us of your oil, because our lamps are going out. Then the wise ones replied, saying, No, by no means, lest there not be enough for us and for you. Go rather to those selling, and buy for yourselves. While they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those being ready entered with him into the marriage festivities, and the door was locked. Later the rest of the virgins came, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. And replying, he said, In solemn truth I am telling you, I do not know you. Watch, therefore, because you do not know the day nor the hour. For it is just as a man who, going abroad, called his own servants and delivered to them his goods. To one he gave five talents; to another two; and to another, one—to each according to his own ability—and he went abroad. Immediately he who received the five talents went and traded with them and gained five others. Likewise the one receiving the two gained two others. But he who received one went away, and dug in the earth, and hid the silver of his master. And after much time the lord of those servants came and had a reckoning with them. And the one receiving five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, you delivered to me five talents; behold, I have gained five other talents. And his Lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I shall place you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord. Then came the one receiving two talents and said, Lord, you delivered to me two talents; behold, I have gained two other talents. Then his Lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant! You were faithful over a few things; I shall appoint you over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord. Then came the one who had received only one talent and said, Lord, I knew that you are an austere man, reaping where you have not sowed, and gathering whence you have not scattered; and, since I was afraid, I went and hid your talent in the earth. Behold, you have your own. Then his lord, replying, said to him, Evil and wicked servant! You knew that I reap where I have not sowed and gather whence I have not scattered. Did it not behoove you to put my money to the bankers that, upon coming, I might have mine own with interest?
Take, therefore, from him the one talent, and give to him who has the ten talents. For to everyone having there will be given, and he will have in abundance, but the one who does not have, even what he has shall be taken from him. The unprofitable servant, cast into the outer darkness. There shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. When the Son of man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit upon the throne of His glory; and there will be gathered before Him all the nations; and He will separate them from one another, just as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will place the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you took Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; sick, and you visited Me; and I was in prison, and you came to me. Then the righteous will reply to Him, saying, Lord, when did we see Thee hungry and feed Thee? or thirsty, and give Thee, something to drink? When did we see Thee a stranger, and take Thee in? or naked, and clothe Thee? When did we see Thee sick or in prison and come to Thee? And replying, the King will say to them, In solemn truth I tell you, inasmuch as you did it to one of these of My brethren, the least ones, you did it to Me. Then He will also say to those on the left hand, Depart from Me, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry, and you did not give Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you did not give Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you did not take Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick and in prison, and you did not visit Me. Then they will reply, saying, Lord, when did we see Thee hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister to Thee? Then He will reply to them, saying, In solemn truth I am telling you, Inasmuch as you did not do it to one of these, the least, you did not do it to Me. 46 And they will go away into everlasting punishment; but the righteous, into everlasting life. And it came to pass, when Jesus had completed all these words, He said to His disciples, You know that after two days the passover comes, and the Son of man is delivered up to be crucified.
Then were gathered the chief priests and the elders of the people into the court of the high priest, who was named Caiaphas. And they were taking counsel that they might take Jesus by strategy and kill Him; but they were saying, Not during the feast, in order that there might not be a riot among the people. When Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him having an alabaster cruse of precious ointment and poured it upon His head while He was reclining. The disciples, seeing this, became indignant, saying, For what purpose was this loss? For this could have been sold for much and given to the poor. Since Jesus knew it, He said to them, Why trouble the woman? She has wrought a good work upon Me, for you have the poor with you always, but you do not have Me always, for in pouring this ointment upon My body, she did it to prepare Me for burial. In solemn truth I tell you, Wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be spoken of for a memorial of her.
Then one of the twelve, named Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, What are you willing to give me, and I will deliver Him to you? And they gave to him thirty pieces of silver. And from then he kept seeking an opportune time that he might deliver Him. On the first day of the feast of unleavened bread, the disciples came to Jesus, saying, Where dost Thou wish that we prepare for Thee to eat the passover? And He said, Go into the city to a certain one and say to him, The Teacher says, My time is near; with you I shall observe the Passover with My disciples. And the disciples did as Jesus commanded them, and they made the passover ready. When it was evening, He reclined with the twelve disciples. And while they were eating, He said, In solemn truth I am telling you, one of you will betray Me. And being exceedingly sorrowful, they began to say to Him, one by one, It is not I; is it, Lord? And replying, He said, The one dipping his hand with Me in the dish, this one will betray Me. The Son of man goes, just as it has been written concerning Him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of man is betrayed; good were it for that man if he had never been born. Judas, who betrayed him, replying, said, It is not I, Rabbi; is it? He said to him, You said it.
After they had eaten, Jesus took a loaf, blessed, broke, and gave it to the disciples, saying, Take, eat, this is My body. And taking the cup and giving thanks, He gave it to them, saying, All of you drink of it, for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many unto remission of sins. And I am telling you, I shall not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it with you in the kingdom of My Father. And after they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said to them, All of you will be offended in Me on this night, for it is written, I shall smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered;9 but, after I am raised, I shall go before you into Galilee. Peter, replying, said to Him, Though all will be caused to stumble in Thee, yet never will I be caused to stumble. To Him Jesus said, In solemn truth I am telling you that on this night, before the cock crows three times, you will deny Me. Then Peter said to Him, If it behooves me to die with Thee, under no condition will I deny Thee. Likewise said all the disciples.
Then Jesus came with them into a place called Gethsemane, and He said to the disciples, Sit here until, going there, I shall pray. And taking Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, He began to be sorrowful and to be depressed. Then He said to them, My soul is very sorrowful, even to death, but stay here, and watch with Me. And going forward a little, He fell upon His face and prayed, saying, My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as Thou wilt. And He came to the disciples, and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, Thus were you not able to watch with Me for one hour? Watch and pray, in order that you enter not into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Again the second time He went forward and prayed, saying, My Father, if it is not possible that this pass away from Me except I drink the same, let Thy will be done. And coming again He found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy with sleep. And leaving them again. He went and prayed the third time, saying the same words again. Then He came to the disciples and said to them, Sleep on now, and take your rest. Behold, the hour has arrived, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Arise; let us go. Behold, the one who is betraying Me is near at hand.
While He was yet speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great company with short swords and staves, from the chief priests and elders of the people. And he who betrayed Him gave them a sign, saying, Whom I shall kiss, this is He; take Him. And immediately, coming forward to Jesus, he said, Hail, Rabbi, and affectionately10 kissed Him. And Jesus said to him, Friend, do what you are here to do. Then coming up to Him, they laid their hands upon Jesus and took Him. And, behold, one of them with Jesus, stretching forth his hand, drew his sword out and smote the servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear. Then Jesus said, Return your sword into its place, for all who take the sword will perish with the sword. Or do you think that I am not able to call upon My Father, and He will dispatch to Me now more than twelve legions of angels? How then are the Scriptures to be fulfilled which say that this must come to pass? In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, Have you come as against a thief to take Me with swords and staves? Daily I was sitting in the temple teaching, but you did not seize Me. All of this has come to pass in order that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled. Then all the disciples left Him and fled.
10 Outwardly Judas kissed Jesus affectionately, but in reality hypocritically. When they had taken Jesus, they led Him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together. And Peter followed Him from a distance into the court of the high priest; and, entering within, he sat down with the attendants to see the end. And the chief priests and the entire Sanhedrin kept seeking false testimony against Jesus in order that they might kill Him, but they found none, although many false witnesses came. Finally two came forward and said, This one said, I am able to destroy the temple of God and within three days to build it. Then the high priest arose and said to Him, Art Thou answering nothing? What do these testify against Thee? But Jesus remained silent, and the high priest said to Him, I charge Thee under oath, by the living God, that Thou tell us if Thou art the Messiah, the Son of God. Jesus said to him, You said it [Yes].11 Nevertheless I am telling you that from now on you will see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven. Then the high priest tore his garments, saying, He has blasphemed. What further need have we of witnesses? Behold, you now have heard the blasphemy. What do you think? And they replied and said, He deserves death. Then they spit in His face and struck Him; and others slapped Him, saying, Prophesy to us, Messiah: who is the one striking Thee?
11 The Greek idiom you said is equal to an affirmation, yes. And Peter sat without in the court, and a certain maiden came to him, saying, And you were with Jesus the Galilean. But he denied in the presence of all, saying, I do not know what you are saying. And when he had gone out into the porch, another maid saw him and said to those that were there, This one was with Jesus the Nazarene. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. After a little time those who were standing around came and said to Peter, Truly you are also one of them, for your speech makes you known. Then he began to curse and to swear, saying, I do not know the man, and immediately the cock crew. Then Peter remembered the word of Jesus who had said, Before a cock crows, you will deny me three times, and he went out and wept bitterly. When it was morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people held a conference against Jesus, that they might kill Him. And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pilate the governor.
Then, when Judas, who had betrayed Him, saw that he was condemned, being filled with remorse, he returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, I sinned in betraying innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? You will see to that yourself. When he had thrown down the silver in the temple, he departed, went away, and hanged himself. The chief priests took the silver and said, It is not lawful to put these pieces of silver into the temple treasury, since they are the price of blood. Having taken counsel, they purchased with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers. For this reason that field is called the field of blood till this day. Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremiah the Prophet, saying, And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of the One whose value had been fixed, on whom some of the children of Israel had set a price, and they gave the same for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.12 12 Zechariah 11:12-13. And Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked Him, saying, Art Thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said, You said it [Yes]. And, while charges were being made by the chief priests and elders against Him, He replied nothing. Then Pilate said to Him, Dost Thou not hear how great things they are testifying against Thee? But He did not reply to him, not even to one word, so that the governor marveled exceedingly. At the feast the governor was accustomed to release one prisoner to the multitude, whom they wished. At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. Now when they were gathered together, Pilate said to them, Whom do you wish that I release to you? Barabbas or Jesus who is called Messiah? For he knew that they had delivered Him because of envy. And when he was sitting upon the judgment seat, his wife sent to him saying, Have nothing to do with that righteous man, for I have suffered many things today in a dream because of Him. But the chief priests and the elders had persuaded the multitude that they should ask for Barabbas and that they should destroy Jesus. The governor replied and said to them, Which one of the two do you wish that I release to you? Then they said, Barabbas. And Pilate said to them, What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Messiah? They all answered, Let Him be crucified. And he said, What evil has He done? And they kept crying out the more, saying, Let Him be crucified. When Pilate saw that he availed nothing, but rather that a riot was developing, he took water and washed his hands in the presence of the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this man; you yourselves will look to that. Then all the people replied and said, His blood be upon us and upon our children. Then he released Barabbas to them; but, having scourged Jesus, he delivered Him that He might be crucified.
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the Praetorium and gathered about Him an entire cohort. And they undressed Him and put a red cloak on Him; and they platted a wreath of thorns, and placed it upon His head, and put a stick in His right hand. Then, bowing the knee before Him, they mocked Him, saying, Hail, King of the Jews! And they spat upon Him, and took the stick, and kept striking Him on His head. And when they had mocked Him, they removed the cloak from Him, put His own clothes on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him. As they went forth, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name, and they forced this one that he should carry His cross. When they came to a place called Golgotha, that is to say, a place of a skull, they gave Him wine to drink mingled with gall; and, when He had tasted it, He did not desire to drink it. And when they had crucified Him, they divided His garments by casting lots. And they sat and kept watching Him there. And they placed above His head the accusation against Him written, This is Jesus, the King of the Jews. Then were crucified with Him two robbers, one on the right hand and one on the left. And those who were passing by kept on blaspheming Him, wagging their heads and saying, Thou, the one destroying the temple and in three days building it, save Thyself if Thou art the Son of God, and come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocked Him, with the scribes and elders, and kept saying, He saved others, but Himself He cannot save. He is the King of Israel. Let Him now come down from the cross, and we shall believe on Him. He has trusted in God. Let Him deliver Him now if He is pleased with Him, for He said, I am the Son of God. The robbers who were crucified with Him said the same thing as they kept on reviling Him. From the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land until the ninth hour. And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?13 That is, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? And some of those who were standing there, when they heard, said, This one is calling for Elijah. And immediately one of them ran, took a sponge, filled it with vinegar, put it on a stick, and was trying to make Him drink. And the rest said, Let be; let us see if Elijah comes to save Him. Jesus again cried out with a loud voice and gave up His spirit. Then, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook; and the rocks were rent; and the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; and, coming forth out of the tombs after His Resurrection, they entered into the holy city and appeared to many. And the centurion and those with him watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were occurring, became exceedingly afraid, saying, Truly this one was the Son of God. And there were many women watching from a distance who had followed Jesus from Galilee to minister unto Him, among whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Joses, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.
13 Psalms 22:1. When it was evening, a rich man of Arimathsea, named Joseph, came, who also himself was a disciple of Jesus. This one came to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered that it be given. Joseph took the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen cloth, and laid it in a new tomb that belonged to him, and that he had hewn in a rock; and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre and went away. And Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the grave. And on the morrow, which is the day after the Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees were gathered together unto Pilate, saying, Sir, we remember that that deceiver said while He was still alive, After three days I shall arise. Order, therefore, that the grave be made sure until the third day, lest the disciples come, and steal Him, and say to the people, He has been raised from the dead, and the last error will be worse than the first. Pilate said to them, You have a guard. Go; make it as secure as you know how. And they went and made the grave secure, sealing the stone, the guard being with them. THE four records of the gospel give a detailed account of many and important events that occurred during the last week of the ministry of Jesus. The person who wishes to get a full picture of these mighty events should procure a New Testament and read each of the full accounts in these records. Since there are so very many details, one can only point out a few of the most important.
I. JESUS’ PUBLIC ENTRY INTO JERUSALEM ON SUNDAY MORNING (Matthew 21:1-11)
During the last week of the earthly life of Jesus (Matthew 21:1-11), He engaged in His public ministry largely in Jerusalem, but He spent the nights at Bethany. As to the day of the week when He arrived at Bethphage (Matthew 21:1), one cannot say dogmatically. On Sunday morning two of His disciples brought an ass, with its colt, on which Jesus rode into Jerusalem in fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9. He was attended by a great throng of people, some preceding and others following Him. All were jubilantly shouting their praises in anticipation of His doing great things for them. Doubtless many thought that He would set up the Messianic kingdom at that time.
He, therefore, spoke the parable of the nobleman who went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return, the record of which is found in Luke 19:11-27. Notwithstanding the plain teaching of this parable, the multitudes were swayed by a great wave of enthusiasm and extraordinary expectation. They recognized Jesus as the son of David, the Messiah of Israel, and applied to Him Psalms 118:25-26. In quoting these verses, they were asking Him, as the Son of David, to save them and to bring the long desired deliverance from foreign domination.
Arrival of Jesus in Jerusalem on this occasion is usually spoken of as "the triumphal entry." If it was, the triumph was very short lived. Opposition was stirred immediately upon His approaching the Temple. Finally He was arrested and executed as a malefactor, as an insurrectionist, a rebel.
Though Jesus rode into Jerusalem, as foretold, did He offer Himself to the Jewish people as their King? This question must be answered in the negative. This fact is shown by the parable of the nobleman in Luke 19:11-27. As previously stated, Jesus spoke this parable because He was near Jerusalem, and because the multitudes thought that the kingdom was immediately to appear. In substance, therefore, He said that a certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return; but, before making his departure, he called ten of his servants and gave to them his goods, namely, ten pounds, each servant receiving a pound. They were instructed to trade with this money during their master’s absence. Having gone to the far country and having received authority to reign over the land, the nobleman came back and had a reckoning with his servants, giving to each one according to his faithfulness in the discharge of the duties of handling his master’s money.
Obviously the nobleman here is Jesus himself. The far country to which He goes to receive a kingdom is heaven. The servants are believers in Christ. The time of His absence is the Christian Dispensation, which has been running for practically two thousand years. When He is invested with power, as foretold in Daniel 7:13-14, He will return to this earth and establish His kingdom of glory, reigning from sea to sea and from the River to the ends of the earth.
I saw in the night-visions, and, behold, there came with the clouds of heaven one like unto a son of man, and he came even to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all the peoples, nations, and languages should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed (Daniel 7:13-14). In the light of this parable it is clear that, when Jesus went up to Jerusalem, He did not offer an earthly kingdom to the Jewish people.
What did He offer to them? According to Zechariah 9:9, He arrived in Jerusalem having salvation, the salvation of the soul. Thus it is clear that He came to establish a spiritual kingdom here upon earth; and Acts 2:1-47, reveals that this spiritual kingdom was established on the first Pentecost after the Resurrection of Christ. Those who accepted the atonement which He made by the shedding of His blood received and enjoyed the salvation which He brought to them, as foretold by the Prophets.
According to Matthew 21:14-17, Jesus found in the Temple a large crowd of people who were sick and afflicted. There were also in the Temple many children, who burst forth shouting, "Hosanna to the son of David!" The chief priests and the scribes objected to this demonstration of enthusiasm. To justify this outburst of praise on the part of the children, Jesus quoted from Psalms 8:1-9, asking, "Did you never read that out of the mouth of babes and sucklings Thou hast ordained praise?" (Matthew 21:16).
How long Jesus and His followers remained in the Temple that day is not indicated, but sometime in the afternoon He and the apostles went back to Bethany on the Mount of Olives, where Jesus lodged each night during this last week.
II. EVENTS OF MONDAY AND TUESDAY (Matthew 21:12-46; Matthew 22:1-46; Matthew 23:1-39) A. Cursing of the Fig Tree On Monday morning Jesus returned to Jerusalem. As He and the apostles were walking along the road, He saw a fig tree which had leaves, but no fruit. He, therefore, pronounced a curse upon it, that no one should ever eat fruit of it. Immediately it began to wither. The next day it seemed to be completely dead. The fact that leaves were on the tree would lead everyone to believe that there were also figs. But this tree had no fruit. Jesus, consequently, brought a blasting curse upon it. This tree was a literal one (Mark 11:12-14). Why then was it placed under a curse? Clearly, the reason was to teach an object lesson regarding fruit-bearing. The cursing of the fig tree reminds one immediately of Isaiah 5:1-30. In this passage appears the parable of the vineyard of Jehovah of hosts, which is the house of Israel and the house of Judah. At the season of the harvest, instead of having luscious, juicy fruit, this vineyard bore wild, bitter grapes. Six curses were, therefore, pronounced upon it. (For a discussion of the cursing of the fig tree, see my booklet "Is the Fig Tree Cursed Forever?") B. Cleansing of the Temple The cleansing of the temple occurred on Monday morning, as shown in Mark 11:15-18. At the beginning of the personal ministry of Jesus (John 2:13), He went to Jerusalem and cleansed the Temple, driving out the cattle, which were for sale in the temple enclosure, and turning over the tables of the money-changers. This event occurred three years prior to the time of this second cleansing, when He again cast out those who were making merchandise of the truth of God.
According to Isaiah, God wants His Temple to be the house of prayer for all nations: "Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon mine altar; for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples" (Psalms 56:7). Though His Temple has never been such thus far, it will be in the great Kingdom Age.
C. Clash with the Jerusalem Authorities
Naturally the Jerusalem authorities were enraged by the boldness of Jesus in entering the city and cleansing the Temple, casting out those who were allowed to sell animals for sacrifices. The rift that had developed between Him and the religious authorities shortly after He had started His public ministry became wider and wider as the months passed. Their feeling of estrangement and embitterment probably was heightened by the fact that He had never studied in their theological seminary and scholastically was not one of them, but was standing aloof from all parties and sects. They believed that He was an uneducated bigot who was assuming rights and prerogatives over them. To many He became the archenemy. Frankly, if you and I had been in their places, we probably would have acted as they did.
Upon His arrival in the Temple on Monday morning, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him and challenged His authority, saying: "By what authority art Thou doing these things? And who gave Thee this authority?" (Matthew 21:23). Jesus replied by saying, "... I also shall ask you one question, which if you tell me, I also shall tell you by what authority I am doing these things. The baptism of John, whence was it? from heaven or from men? But they kept reasoning within themselves, saying: If we shall say, From heaven, He will say to us, Why, therefore, did you not believe him? And if we shall say, From men, we are afraid of the multitude, for all hold John as a prophet. Replying to Jesus, they said, We do not know. And He said to them, I shall not tell you by what authority I am doing these things" (Matthew 21:24-27).
1. Answer of Jesus to His Critics
Jesus replied by giving three parables: that of the two sons, that of the vineyard, and that of the marriage feast and the slighted invitation. The parable of the two sons is very clear. The second of these parables is that of a vineyard and the wicked husbandmen (Matthew 21:33-46). This parable is based upon Psalms 80:8-16 and Isaiah 5:1-30. In this passage Jesus goes to the heart of the national problem, revealing the two focal points of Jewish history, the first and the second coming of Messiah. The parable is as follows: A householder planted a vineyard and provided all things necessary. Then he turned it over to husbandmen who were to keep it and deliver the fruit to the owner at the proper time. When the season of fruit drew near, he sent a delegation of his servants to receive the fruit. The husbandmen beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Then he sent a second delegation. The wicked husbandmen did to them as they had done to the others. Finally the householder sent his son, thinking that the husbandmen would respect him. When they saw the son coming, they instantly decided to kill him and take the vineyard.
Having thus stated the case, Jesus asked His critics what they thought the householder would do to those wicked men. They replied that he would destroy them and let the vineyard out to other husbandmen who would be faithful and true. In thus stating the case, they were correct.
Then Jesus quoted Psalms 118:22-23, as seen above in Matthew 21:42 : "The stone which the builders rejected, the same has become the head of the corner ..." From the context of Psalms 118:1-29 it is clear that the word stone is not used literally, but symbolically. An examination of each passage in which this word is thus used shows obviously that it signifies the Messiah of Israel. According to these verses, the builders, the leaders of the nation, at first reject the cornerstone, but later see the truth relative to it and place it in its proper position—as head of the corner. Since this stone represents the Messiah, it is clear that at His first coming He is rejected by the leaders. Later they see the truth relative to Him and place Him in His proper position in the nation, acknowledging that He, the long rejected Messiah, is the only and rightful King of Israel. When they thus accept Him and plead for Him to return, He will do so and will establish a reign of righteousness upon the earth. When the leaders of Israel reject the Messiah, the Lord takes the Kingdom of God from the people of Israel and gives it to another nation bringing forth the fruit thereof. The Kingdom of God during the period from Sinai to the cross was co-extensive with the nation of Israel. King David touches on this point in 1 Chronicles 28:5 : "... he hath chosen Solomon my son to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of Jehovah over Israel." According to this statement, the throne of David over Israel is identified as the throne of Jehovah. Hence the kingdom of Israel was the kingdom of Jehovah. All the spiritual values of life at that time were centered in the nation of Israel, the Kingdom of God. According to the prediction of Jesus Christ, when the Chosen People reject Him, God takes the Kingdom from Israel and bestows it upon another nation bringing forth the fruit thereof. To what nation is the Kingdom of God given when it is taken from Israel? As may be seen from the context, this statement of Jesus is an example of paronomasia, a play on words. As the facts just presented prove, the Kingdom of God was given to the nation of Israel. According to this prediction, it is to be taken from Israel and given to another group that is spoken of as a nation. The people thus spoken of as a nation, to whom the Kingdom is given, are believers from all nations, both Jews and Gentiles. In the New Testament these people are known as the Church, or the body of Christ.
Terrific and appalling is the prediction concerning the fate awaiting those who fall upon this stone and those upon whom it will fall: "and the one falling upon this stone shall be broken in pieces; but, upon whomsoever it falls, it shall grind him to powder" (Matthew 21:44). The leaders of Israel rejected this stone, Messiah, at His first coming. In so doing, they fell upon it. As punishment for this crime, those falling upon it were broken to pieces in the catastrophe of A.D. 70. This same rejected stone, at His Second Coming, will fall upon those who, notwithstanding the light and advantages they enjoy, still reject Him. The stone will scatter them as dust. This prediction is without doubt an echo of the image vision of Daniel 2:1-45. The parable of the marriage feast made by the king for his son (Matthew 22:1-14) was a warning to the leaders of that time. The king in the parable is obviously God the Father. The son for whom the marriage festivities are made is none other than the Son of God. The invited guests are the Jewish people who had been invited by Moses and the Prophets. The servants calling the invited guests to the marriage festivities are John the Baptist and the apostles who proclaimed the coming of the Kingdom to Israel during the personal ministry of Jesus. In the regular translation the word rendered dinner in Matthew 22:4 should properly be translated breakfast. By the Resurrection of Christ, the breakfast had been made ready for the invited guests. The king sent out the second deputation of announcers, pleading with the invited guests to come and partake. As a group, they were uninterested and turned to their merchandising and other secular activities. Enraged by this slighting of the royal invitation, the king sent "his armies and destroyed those murderers, and burned their city" (Matthew 22:7). The prophecy of this parable was literally fulfilled in A.D. 70 by the destruction of the Jewish state and Jerusalem under the sledge hammer blows of Titus, the Roman general.
After destroying those who had spurned the invitation to the wedding breakfast, the king sent forth his messengers into the highways and byways to invite people of all races and tribes to come and partake of the supper, which was observed at the close of the day of the wedding festivities. When the king came to the marriage supper, he saw a man without a wedding garment and ordered him cast into outer darkness because he had not availed himself of the one provided for him.
Undoubtedly it was obvious to the Jerusalem authorities that Jesus spoke these three parables against them because of their attitude and action.
2. Counterattacks by the Jerusalem Authorities The Jerusalem authorities struck back, figuratively speaking. The Pharisees took counsel as to how they might ensnare Him in His talk (Matthew 22:15-22). They also tried to involve Him with the Roman authorities by asking Him whether or not it was lawful to pay tribute to Caesar. He replied that they should pay tribute to whom tribute is due. Thus their attempt failed utterly.
Then the Sadducees, who did not believe in life after death or in angels, tried to involve Him in the discussion of a theological question concerning the Resurrection. He answered their questions by showing that they did not know the power of God or the Scriptures (Matthew 22:23-33). Finally a lawyer of the Pharisees tried to ensnare Him by asking which commandment of the law was the greatest. The answer that Jesus gave to this question was overwhelmingly successful and defeated the efforts of His opponents. At this point Jesus took the offensive in the controversy by referring to Psalms 110:1-2. He called attention to the fact that David spoke of one of his descendants as being his Lord. Then Jesus asked His opponents how David’s Son could be David’s Lord. Unable to answer, they withdrew, leaving Him alone. The only way that one of David’s descendants could be David’s Lord would be for him to be of a higher order of being than his father. Since it is recognized in this passage that this descendant is greater than David, it is therefore to be assumed that he is of an order higher than man. But to whom specifically does this passage refer? It has been recognized by many scholars as a Messianic prediction. This fact is apparent from the data of the context and other passages related to it. This descendant of David can be none other than Messiah, who is God in human form, having entered the world by miraculous conception and virgin birth. This passage becomes clear in the light of such predictions as Isaiah 7:14 : "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." The information in this passage shows how this descendant of David is of a higher order than His father David. According to it, He is Immanuel, God in human form. No wonder David called Him his Lord.
D. Denunciation of the Scribes and Pharisees
Jesus concluded His public ministry in the Temple by delivering a scathing rebuke of His opponents, the Pharisees and the scribes. According to John 11:57, before the feast of the Passover, the chief priests and the Pharisees had commanded that any man who knew where Jesus was should reveal His whereabouts so that they might take Him. Jesus was aware of their intentions. For the last three days—Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday—He and they, as just seen, had clashed in verbal battles. He was victorious in each instance. He concluded His ministry by delivering the message found in Matthew 23:1-39. If this passage were the only one extant concerning what He said about the scribes and Pharisees, it might be concluded that He denounced all scribes and all Pharisees as men of like character. But there were notable exceptions to the rule. For instance, Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish Sanhedrin, was a friend of Jesus and a sincere man. Likewise Joseph of Arimathea was an honest truth-seeker. Notwithstanding the wide variance between Jesus and the Pharisees as a group, some of them at times entertained Him. In Luke 14:1 ff., for instance, Jesus accepted an invitation to dine with an outstanding Pharisee. On another occasion, while He was in Galilee, He was entertained by a Pharisee (Luke 7:36-50). Thus, as one reads Matthew 23:1-39, he must bear in mind that Jesus’ denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees on this occasion was not the condemnation of the entire group, but of only those who proved to be insincere, hypercritical.
Jesus recognized the positions of authority which the scribes and the Pharisees held. Since they were the exponents of the law and of the messages of the Prophets, Jesus instructed the multitudes to obey them implicitly, but not to do as they were doing.
Jesus pronounced seven woes upon the scribes and Pharisees. Some Bible students have pointed out that He was very caustic in His denunciation of them. He was no more severe in His criticism of the scribes and Pharisees than some of the prophets were in their denunciation of Israel. Moses was unsparing in his remarks at various times. When Israel came to Mount Sinai, for instance, the people made a golden calf and worshipped it. Aaron, the high priest, spoke to Moses and said that Israel was set on evil. By this statement he meant that they were determined to do evil and wicked things (Exodus 32:22). They were so very rebellious at times that Moses on one occasion, when he was to bring forth water from the rock, shouted, "Hear now, ye rebels; shall we bring you forth water out of this rock?" (Numbers 20:10). This natural outburst of anger kept him out of the Promised Land. In the Song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:1-52), the great lawgiver delineated very vividly the sinful, rebellious life that the people would live from his day and forward until the great Kingdom Age. The inspired writer of the Book of Judges states that every man of that period in Israel did that which was right in his own eyes (Judges 17:6; Judges 21:25). Also the writers of the historical books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles constantly call attention to the sinful condition of the nation and to how God had to punish it. Isaiah the Prophet, in Isaiah 1:1-31, said that the body politic was sick from head to foot. In Isaiah 5:1-30, he pronounced one woe after another against the nation of Israel. Jeremiah the Prophet spoke of the nation and condemned the people, declaring that the Lord would make Jerusalem like Shiloh because of the sins of the people. Also at a later date he compared the Kingdom of Judah to two baskets of figs. The fruit of the first basket was comparatively good, but that of the second was so very bad that it could not be eaten. Ezekiel compared Jerusalem to Sodom and Gomorrah (Ezekiel 16:1-63). Then in Ezekiel 23:1-49 he called Jerusalem and Samaria Oholah and Oholibah, two lewd, adulterous women. Malachi wished that someone with courage and moral stamina would close the doors of the Temple so that the worship could not be continued, because of the corruption of the people (Malachi 1:10). Then he claimed that the whole nation was depraved and accursed because it had dealt corruptly with God. This little glance at the history of Israel and the messages of the prophets shows that they frequently denounced the whole nation, as well as individuals. Many prophets of God were persecuted for speaking faithfully the Word of God. When all the facts are taken into consideration, one sees that the prophets and the historians were as outspoken against Israel’s sins as Jesus of Nazareth was in His denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees, as recorded in Matthew 23:1-39. This scathing denunciation of the religious leaders is found in Matthew 23:1-36—with the closing lamentation over Jerusalem in Matthew 23:37-39, in which Jesus addressed them as, "Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that kills the prophets, and stones them that are sent to her." Throughout the history of Israel, God sent His prophets to Jerusalem, the capital of the nation; but official Jerusalem, the leaders of the nation, killed and stoned them because of their denunciation of sin in high places. In this final exclamation Jesus declared that their house, their Temple—possibly their "Beth Din," the supreme court—would be left to them desolate; and He assured them that they would never see His face again until they change their attitude and say, as foretold in Psalms 118:26, "Blessed is the one coming in the name of the Lord." According to various predictions of the prophets, the people of Israel will be brought to the point that they will see the mistake of the centuries, will rectify it by genuine repentance, and will call upon God for mercy and for deliverance. When the nation acts thus, the Messiah will come and bring the longed for deliverance and will solve the Jewish problem once and for all.
E. The Olivet Discourse The Olivet Discourse is the most important prophecy that the Lord Jesus made. He delivered it on the Mount of Olives on Tuesday, the last day of His public ministry, after He had finished His service in the Temple. It is recorded in Matthew 24:1-51 and Matthew 25:1-46; Mark 13:1-37; Luke 21:1-38. These three accounts must be studied together if one is to get an accurate and full picture of the great prophetic outline of the centuries. This message of Matthew 24:1-51 and Matthew 25:1-46, brings together in the compass of a few words many of the great outstanding prophecies found throughout the messages of the Prophets.
1. A Prediction of the Destruction of the Temple and Questions Growing There from In Matthew 24:1-3 is a prediction concerning the Temple. As Jesus and the disciples were leaving the Temple on their way to Bethany, they called His attention to the large stones that had been used in its reconstruction. He replied by making the definite prediction that one stone would not remain upon another that would not be thrown down. When they reached the summit of the Mount of Olives and Jesus had sat down, Peter, James, John, and Andrew (Mark 13:3), wishing more information concerning this prediction, asked Him two questions, as recorded in jMark 13:3, "When will these things be? And what will be the sign of Thy coming and of the consummation of the age?" Jesus answered both questions. Matthew, however, devotes his entire time to Jesus’ answer to the second question, which is a double one (Matthew 24:4-31). Luke gives the answer to the first one (Luke 21:20-24).
2. The Present Age In Matthew 24:4-6, Jesus speaks of certain events which will occur during His absence—the present Dispensation. In the first place, He warns them against false messiahs who will lead many astray by their claims of being the true Messiah, of whom the prophets have spoken. In the second place, He informs them that there will be wars and rumors of wars throughout this age. When one breaks out, therefore, they are not to be afraid or to attach any prophetic significance to it, because wars characterize the age. The causes of wars are here. So long as these causes remain, there will be wars. Hence the breaking out of a war does not indicate the end of the age, about which the disciples had just asked. Thus these three verses set forth the present age, beginning with the time that Jesus spoke and continuing until His Second Coming.
3. The Sign of the Second Coming and the End of the Age
Jesus concludes this point by saying that, when a war breaks out, the end is not yet, "For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in different places [Luke adds, ’and pestilences’]; but all these things are the first birth pain." The conjunction for in Matthew 24:7 shows that the sentence thus introduced is explanatory, either of the last clause in the preceding sentence, or of the entire sentence itself. It cannot be the explanation of the entire sentence, since Jesus has just shown that there would be wars and rumors of wars throughout the period of His absence. Some expositors think, therefore, that the clause "And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars" is explained by the sentence "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom." But this explanation will not satisfy the demands of the context, for Jesus declares that the rising of a nation against nation and the rising of kingdom against kingdom, accompanied by famines, pestilences, and earthquakes, are the beginning of travail, or the first birth pain. If these risings of nation against nation are explanatory of wars and rumors of wars, the first birth pain has been continuing throughout the entire Christian Dispensation. This interpretation is immediately seen to be erroneous. Jesus is answering the question concerning the sign of His coming and of the consummation of the age. The wars and rumors of wars throughout the centuries could not be indicative of His coming and of the end of the age. This explanation, therefore, is unacceptable.
Matthew 24:6 closes with the statement "The end is not yet." When a war—a local affair—breaks out, such a conflict has no prophetic significance, for the end of the age is not yet. The reason is that, before the end of the age, nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom in a titanic struggle which will be attended by famines, pestilences, and great earthquakes in different places of the world. What is the meaning of the idiom "Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom"? A careful examination of the context of 2 Chronicles 15:1-8 shows that this peculiar idiom indicates a war that breaks out in one section of the world and spreads from one nation to another until it involves the nations that are within the view of the prophet using the idiom. In the days of Asa, King of Judah, the Spirit of God came upon Azariah, who delivered the following message to the king and the nation:
... Hear ye me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: Jehovah is with you, while ye are with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you. Now for a long season Israel was without the true God, and without a teaching priest, and without law: but when in their distress they turned unto Jehovah, the God of Israel, and sought him, he was found of them. And in those times there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in; but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the lands. And they were broken in pieces, nation against nation, and city against city; for God did vex them with all adversity. But be ye strong, and let not your hands be slack; for your work shall be rewarded (2 Chronicles 15:2-7). This message was spoken directly to the king and to the people of his kingdom, "all Judah and Benjamin." Azariah laid down the general proposition that Jehovah is with His people when they are faithful to Him. He also pointed out that for a long season Israel had been without the true God, and a teaching priest, and the law.
Then in their distress they had turned to and found Jehovah. In those days of moral and spiritual declension, declared the prophet, "... there was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in; but great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the lands.
6 And they were broken in pieces, nation against nation, and city against city; for God did vex them with all adversity" (2 Chronicles 15:5-6). Note the expression, "There was no peace to him that went out, nor to him that came in." What is meant by going out and coming in? Since the message was delivered to the king and the people of Judah, the southern kingdom, the going out and coming in can mean but one thing, namely, their going out of the kingdom of Judah into an adjoining country, and the coming in of a citizen of a neighboring nation by crossing the border into Judah. If an inhabitant of Judah, for instance, wished to cross the border into Israel in order to avoid the horrors of war, he did not escape, because there was war in Israel also. Thus it is clear from the facts of the context that before the prophet’s mind appeared a vision of the kingdom of Judah and the nations bordering thereon. Great vexations were upon all the inhabitants of the land of Judah and adjoining nations. These nations were "’broken in pieces, nation against nation, and city against city." The conflict concerning which the prophet was speaking started by the rising up of one of these nations seen in the vision against another; then another came into the conflict. The struggle thus spread until it affected all the territory before the mind of the prophet when he made this historical statement. In Isaiah 19:1-4 this same idiom appears. The prophet foretells a civil war that breaks out in Egypt and affects the entire country. It starts by Egyptian rising against Egyptian, city against city, and kingdom against kingdom, and spreads until it affects all the territory before the mind of the prophet when he is making the prediction. If these two examples of this idiom are studied carefully, it is seen that a war in each instance is spoken of that breaks out in one nation and spreads to another, then to another and another until it involves all the territory that is before the mind of the prophet when he uses the idiom. When using this idiom in the Olivet Discourse, Jesus had a world outlook. This idiom, therefore, refers to a war which starts by one nation’s rising against another and spreads until it engulfs the whole world. In substance, He says: "You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but pay no attention to them, because they have no prophetic significance; but, when you see a war break out which involves all nations, and which is attended by famines, pestilences, and great earthquakes in divers places, such a titanic struggle is your sign—your infallible, unmistakable sign—of My coming and of the end of the age."
There have been wars and rumors of wars throughout the entire period of time since the Lord Jesus left this earth; but in 1914-18 the world saw for the first time nation rising against nation, and kingdom against kingdom—a world war. Furthermore it was accompanied by famines, pestilences (the devastating influenza epidemic, for example), and an unprecedented number of earthquakes. These four things—a world war, famines, pestilences, and great earthquakes—coming together, constitute the first birth pang, the pain warning the world that the time of travail, the Tribulation, is near at hand (Matthew 24:7-8). The world has also had a second birth pain in the form of World War II. There may be a third birth pain, taking the same form as the first two. As to how many warning pains will come upon the world before the real labor pains set in, God only knows. But the distress of the period of travail will surely come in due season.
4. The Great Tribulation
Matthew 24:9-28 gives a brief description of the great Tribulation, with which the Christian Era closes. This period of distress is known by different names in the writings of the prophets. Jeremiah calls it the time of Jacob’s trouble; Moses speaks of it as the time of Israel’s calamity. Again, in a number of places the prophets speak of it as the day of wrath and, sometimes, the day of Jehovah. Practically all the prophets spoke of this time of distress. It is also described in various psalms. It is of the utmost importance that one understand what is meant by this day of Jehovah, or the time of Jacob’s trouble. Isaiah the Prophet gives a wonderful description of this period of wrath in the following passage:
Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory of his majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be brought low, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and Jehovah alone shall be exalted in that day. For there shall be a day of Jehovah of hosts upon all that is proud and haughty, and upon all that is lifted up; and it shall be brought low; and upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan, and upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up, and upon every lofty tower, and upon every fortified wall, and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all pleasant imagery. And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be brought low; and Jehovah alone shall be exalted in that day. And the idols shall utterly pass away. And men shall go into the caves of the rocks, and into the holes of the earth, from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake mightily the earth. In that day men shall cast away their idols of silver, and their idols of gold, which have been made for them to worship, to the moles and to the bats; to go into the caverns of the rocks, and into the clefts of the ragged rocks, from before the terror of Jehovah, and from the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake mightily the earth. Cease ye from man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for wherein is he to be accounted of? (Isaiah 2:10-22).
Zephaniah also spoke of the same time: The great day of Jehovah is near, it is near and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of Jehovah; the mighty man crieth there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, a day of the trumpet and alarm, against the fortified cities, and against the high battlements. And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against Jehovah; and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of Jehovah’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he will make an end, yea, a terrible end, of all them that dwell in the land (Zephaniah 1:14-18). From these two passages it is very clear that the day of Jehovah, or the time of Jacob’s trouble, is the period that God pours out His judgments upon Israel and upon the entire world. In the New Testament this period of judgment is described fully in Revelation 6:1-17, Revelation 7:1-17, Revelation 8:1-13, Revelation 9:1-21, Revelation 10:1-11, Revelation 11:1-19, Revelation 12:1-17, Revelation 13:1-18, Revelation 14:1-20, Revelation 15:1-8, Revelation 16:1-21, Revelation 17:1-18, Revelation 18:1-24, Revelation 19:1-21 inclusive. It is a period of seven years. The chronological order of events that will occur during the Tribulation is set forth symbolically by the seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven bowls, described in Revelation 6:1-17, Revelation 8:1-13, Revelation 9:1-21, and Revelation 16:1-21. The events set forth in the first five seal judgments are what men bring about, but the sixth seal symbolizes divine intervention, an upheaval throughout our solar system—at least. People who will be living at that time will recognize that they are in the day of Jehovah, the day of His wrath: And I saw when he opened the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the whole moon became as blood; and the stars of the heaven fell unto the earth, as a fig tree casteth her unripe figs when she is shaken of a great wind. And the heaven was removed as a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the princes, and the chief captains, and the rich and the strong, and every bondman and freeman, hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains; and they say to the mountains, and to the rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: for the great day of their wrath is come; and who is able to stand? (Revelation 6:12-17) From a careful study of Revelation it is learned that this judgment occurs in the first part of the Tribulation. People living then will realize and confess that they are in the day of Jehovah, the day of His wrath. It will be a reality which no one can misunderstand. The first half of this period of seven years of Tribulation is covered by Matthew 24:9-14; the second half, by Matthew 24:15-28. It is a time that will try men’s souls. At that time the gospel of the kingdom will be preached to all the world for a testimony unto all the nations (Matthew 24:14). Paul wrote to Timothy on the same subject. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; who would have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, one mediator also between God and men, himself man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all; the testimony to be borne in its own times; ... (1 Timothy 2:3-6). This passage shows clearly that God wants all men to be saved, that a ransom for man’s redemption has been given for all, and that the testimony is "to be borne in its own times." This testimony is undoubtedly the proclamation of the gospel of the grace of God (there is but one gospel, Galatians 1:8-9), which, as Paul declared, will be preached in its own times—in the first half of the Tribulation. For a full and glowing account of the proclamation of the truth to all nations and the world-wide revival, read carefully Revelation 7:1-17.¹
Matthew 24:15-28 describes the second half of this period of judgment. As the Tribulation advances, the devastating strokes of judgment become more severe and unbearable. At that time Almighty God will sweep the bulk of the people off the face of the earth.
5. The Second Coming of Jesus the Messiah In Matthew 24:29-31 is a prediction concerning the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ from glory at the very end of the Tribulation. At that time all families of the earth will mourn because of Him, whom they will see coming in power and great glory. He will send forth His angels to gather His elect—those who turn to Him during the Tribulation and put their trust in Him, and who survive to the end of that period. They will be gathered out of the world. Then the final stroke of judgment will fall at the personal return of Jesus.
6. The Law of Recurrence The Olivet Discourse is an example of the law of recurrence. This law involves the recording of an event and the repetition of the account with added details. This principle may be illustrated by the artist who "blocks out the portrait" of a person at the first sitting and adds details at subsequent sittings. Matthew 24:1-31 gives a cursory survey of the period beginning with the time that Jesus spoke this message and continuing through the centuries to His Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation. He, of course, gives only the high-lights of the period. In Matthew 24:32-51; Matthew 25:1-46 He adds details to the picture that He has already drawn. These details pertain to the very end of this age and to the Tribulation.
7. The Rapture of Believers a. The budding of the fig tree But from the fig tree learn her parable. Whenever her branch has become tender and it puts forth its leaves, know that the summer is near. Thus, also, you, whenever you see all these things, know that He is near, even at the doors. In solemn truth I am telling you that this generation will not pass away until all these things are accomplished (Matthew 24:32-34).
According to the Lord Jesus, when anyone sees the fig tree beginning to bud and to put forth its leaves, he can know that summer is near. No one can question his logic. In a similar manner, asserted Jesus, those who see "all these things" can reason that He is near, even at the doors. What is meant by "all these things"? There is but one answer: the things enumerated in Matthew 24:7 and designated in Matthew 24:8 as "all these things"—"For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in different places; but all these things are the first birth pain" (Matthew 24:7-8). The expression "all these things" of Matthew 24:33 is the same term as "all these things" of Matthew 24:7-8. Since in both passages Jesus is talking about the sign of His coming and of the end of the age, one is forced to believe that "all these things" of both passages refer to the same events. Since moreover, "all these things" of Matthew 24:7-8 refer to World War I and attending circumstances, "all these things" of Matthew 24:33 refer also to the same world war and accompanying events—the sign of the end of the age. The disciples had asked for the sign of the end of the age. Now Jesus says, "... whenever you² see all these things, know that He is near, even at the doors" (Matthew 24:33).
Thus, in Matthew 24:32, Jesus turns His discussion from His Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation back to the time of the sign—the outbreak of World War I, 1914-18, with its accompanying famines, pestilences, and earthquakes. This sign shows that His coming is at hand, but how soon? The answer is in Matthew 24:3 : "In solemn truth I am telling you that this generation will not pass away, until all these things are accomplished," the generation rising when the sign occurs and is old enough to recognize its significance—the generation in the teen age during the war of 1914-18. Within the lifetime of this generation the whole prophetic program which Jesus has outlined in the Olivet Discourse will be carried out.
If one is willing to take the language of Jesus at its face value, and if language can be relied upon as an accurate medium of one person’s conveying thoughts to another, we must accept the conclusion reached in the paragraph above. The only point that may be questioned is the identification of the war with its attending circumstances mentioned in the prophecy of Jesus as having found its fulfillment in the great war of 1914-18, which, by general consent, is called World War I in contradistinction to World War II of 1939-45. From the language of Jesus one naturally concludes that He was talking about the first world conflict that occurs and of its being the sign of the end of the age. The force of this position becomes apparent when we note the fact that there have already been two world wars and that there may be a third one—at least, many of the scientists and statesmen of the world are now discussing the possibility of World War III. So far as we know, there may be more.
Since there is a series of world wars, how can we identify World War I as the one mentioned by Jesus? The following illustration, which I have often used, will help one to see the facts. Assume that I live in a rural district on a given highway. You wish to visit me, but do not know where my place is. As you motor along, you meet a man from whom you inquire concerning my home. He assures you that he can give you the information that you need. Pointing to the telephone line along the highway, he calls attention to the fact that the wires are fastened directly to the telephone poles. He insists that you watch this telephone line as you continue traveling until you see a pole with a crossarm. Opposite this telephone pole, he asserts, is my gate. You thank him for the information and drive ahead. Finally, after traveling several miles, you see a telephone pole that has a crossarm. You notice that the next one ahead has a crossarm, and the next likewise. Opposite which one of those posts do you expect to find my gate? I have asked literally hundreds of people this question. Without an exception they all have answered, "Opposite the first one." When Jesus, therefore, called attention to a world war as the sign of His coming and of the end of the age, the disciples naturally thought of the first world war as being the one He meant.
Since, however, there may still exist in the minds of some a doubt on this point, my exhortation to them is that they keep an open mind, that they continue to study the question, and that they ask the Lord to open their eyes to the truth on this point (Psalms 119:18). Let us avoid all speculations and guessing. God does not fulfill His prophecies according to the speculations of men, but as they are written. Of which coming is Jesus speaking—His coming for His saints or His coming with His saints? He will come for His saints before the Tribulation begins, as 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10 and 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 clearly show. He will come with His saints at the end of the Tribulation. At the time of which Jesus is here speaking, men and women will be eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, buying and selling. Various passages of Scripture show that such will not be the condition of the world and of the human family at the very end of the Tribulation, because the devastating, thorough going judgments will wreck the physical earth, as well as civilization. Since in Matthew 24:32-44, Jesus says that at His coming mankind will be following the normal pursuits of life, He must be referring to His coming for His saints before the Tribulation—in other words, at the time of the Rapture b. Attitudes toward the Rapture—true and false
There are two contrary attitudes which will be taken with reference to the Lord’s return for His saints. They are set forth in the parable of the faithful and wise servant and the unfaithful servant. The wise servant realizes that he does not know just when his Lord is coming; he, therefore, is faithful in every duty devolving upon him. The unfaithful servant, believing that his Lord tarries, becomes intolerant toward his fellow servants (Matthew 24:45-51). In the parable of the ten virgins, Matthew 25:1-13, Jesus again illustrates and contrasts two attitudes toward His coming for His saints. The wise virgins, realizing that they do not know when the Bridegroom will come, take oil in their lamps and an additional supply in vessels in the event He should delay His coming. The foolish virgins virtually set a date for His coming by taking oil in their lamps only and not having an additional supply. Thus is contrasted the right attitude with a wrong one. In Matthew 25:14-30, one sees that the returning Lord rewards His servants for their faithfulness. In this passage appears the parable of the talents, the gist of which is as follows: A certain nobleman was going abroad; but, before doing so, he called his servants and delivered to them his goods. To one he gave five talents, according to his ability; to another, two talents; and to another, one. Having apportioned his goods to his servants, he went to a far country, and after a long time he returned. Upon his return he called his servants and had a reckoning with them. The one to whom five talents were given brought five other talents. The master said, "Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things; I will set you over many things; enter into the joy of your Lord." Then the one who had received two talents came bringing two additional ones. To this second servant the master said the same thing. Then the servant to whom one talent had been given was called. He brought his master’s money and said that he had buried it and kept it safely. Since he had been unfaithful, the nobleman demanded that he give back the one talent and that he be cast into outer darkness. The nobleman of this parable is Christ, who went into a far country, heaven. He has been gone a long time approximately two thousand years. The first two servants to whom He distributes His talents are the believers, the born-again ones. They are to take their talents—opportunities of service and capabilities—and improve their time. When the Lord comes back, He will have a reckoning with His servants and will give them their rewards according to their works. This parable must not be confused with the parable of the pounds, described in Luke 19:11-27. The outlook there is entirely different from the one here. At the same time there are principles involved that obtain in both cases. The facts must be carefully differentiated. The main point of the parable of the talents is that God expects His servants to be faithful in the discharge of their duties and in the use of their capabilities and properties. The parable also shows clearly that God expects 100 per cent faithfulness and loyalty on the part of His servants. They will be rewarded when they appear before the judgment seat of Christ, as is set forth in 2 Corinthians 5:10 : For we must all be made manifest before the judgment-seat of Christ; that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he hath done, whether it be good or bad."
8. The Judgment of the Living Nations In the Olivet Discourse Jesus moves forward from the time of the Rapture of the Church, as described in Matthew 24:32-51; Matthew 25:1-30, to the very end of the Tribulation when He will come in glory and all nations will be gathered before Him—the living nations, those that survive the judgments of the Great Tribulation (Matthew 25:31-46). During the Tribulation, the Scriptures reveal, the extremely wicked and immoral people will be swept from the face of the earth by the judgments of God. Those who survive the Tribulation and are brought into the judgment of this passage consist of good, moral people living up to the light which they have and those who are not biased against Christ and His people. In this connection let it be emphasized that those appearing in this judgment are the living nations. Not one word is said about a resurrection of the dead. The basis of this judgment is the attitude which those being judged take toward Christ and His brethren during the Tribulation—brethren in the flesh, the Jewish people, and brethren in a spiritual sense, the Tribulation saints: those who are sympathetic and helpful to His brethren are represented as sheep put on the right hand by the shepherd, whereas those who are callous toward human suffering and are antagonistic toward Christ and His people are represented as goats that are put on the left hand. Those on the right hand, the sheep, are allowed to enter the Kingdom. Those on the left hand, the goats, are banished from the presence of God and the glory of His might.
Some people have a misunderstanding of this prediction concerning the judgment of the living nations. Some expositors think that the people here referred to are the nations upon earth at the present time, such as the United States of America, Great Britain, France, and other nations. They see in this prediction that these nations will go through the Tribulation, retaining their national identity and appearing in this judgment of which Christ speaks—although the number of people will be greatly reduced by the judgments of the Tribulation. This interpretation assumes that the nations will be separated according to present-day nationalities. This view cannot be true in the light of Jeremiah 30:11 : "For I am with thee, saith Jehovah, to save thee: for I will make a full end of all the nations whither I have scattered thee, but I will not make a full end of thee; but I will correct thee in measure, and will in no wise leave thee unpunished." According to this passage the nation of Israel will go through the Tribulation retaining its national identity. All the other nations, where Israel has been scattered, declared Jeremiah, will lose their identity.
Since the separation of the people in this judgment is not along national lines, upon what principles are they divided? A glance at the entire passage shows that they as individuals are separated upon the basis of their attitude and actions toward Christ’s brethren. Those who have been friendly and helpful to His brethren will be put upon the right hand and allowed to enter the Kingdom of Glory. Those who have been non-cooperative and hostile toward them will be put on the left hand and banished into outer darkness. From these facts it is clear that the basis of this judgment will be that of meritorious conduct and good works or a lack of them. Will people be saved because of their good works and clean lives while others will be condemned because of lack of them? The Scriptures make it clear that people are not saved by works of any kind, but by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ: "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life" (John 3:16). Light is thrown upon this subject in Psalms 15:1-5 and Psalms 24:1-6 Jehovah, who shall sojourn in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill?
He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, And speaketh truth in his heart;
He that slandereth not with his tongue, Nor doeth evil to his friend, Nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor; In whose eyes a reprobate is despised, But who honoreth them that fear Jehovah; He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not;
He that putteth not out his money to interest, Nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved. The earth is Jehovah’s, and the fulness thereof; The world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, And established it upon the floods. Who shall ascend into the hill of Jehovah? And who shall stand in his holy place?
He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart, Who hath not lifted up his soul unto falsehood, And hath not sworn deceitfully.
He shall receive a blessing from Jehovah, And righteousness from the God of his salvation. This is the generation of them that seek after him, That seek thy face, even Jacob. [Selah] When these psalms are studied in the light of related passages, it is abundantly evident that David, the author of these psalms, discusses in them the question as to who will be allowed to enter the glorious kingdom of Messiah. "Jehovah, who shall sojourn in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill?" When these psalms are read along with the prediction of Christ’s judgment of the living nations (Matthew 25:31-46), it is clear that David and Christ are talking about the same future events. David tells who will be allowed to enter, speaking of them in terms of their clean lives and upright conduct. Christ speaks of the same group in terms of their moral lives and good works. In Psalms 24:5 David gives the statement which is the key that unlocks the entire situation: "He shall receive a blessing from Jehovah, And righteousness from the God of his salvation." These good, moral people who are living up to all the light that they have, and who survive the Tribulation, will have proved by their attitude and actions that they will receive the full light of the truth when it is presented to them. The eyes of the Lord are running to and fro throughout the whole earth to find people who have the courage of their convictions, and who will act accordingly (2 Chronicles 16:9). God will see that the truth is given to them. Each "shall receive a blessing from Jehovah, And righteousness from the God of his salvation." Therefore, these people who are put on the right hand, being truth lovers, will accept the truth and Messiah and be saved. Thus they will enter the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world. The gospel will be fully proclaimed by saved Israel at the beginning of the Kingdom Age, and those still living will accept³ Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord and will live upon the earth throughout the Millennium. At the close of this golden era all the lost will be raised and will appear before the Son of man and hear their awful doom (Revelation 20:11-15).
III. JESUS’ INACTIVITY FOR TWO DAYS, WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY This chapter, thus far, has presented the outstanding events occurring on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday of the last week of Jesus’ earthly ministry. As already seen, the Lord delivered the Olivet Discourse late Tuesday afternoon. And it came to pass, when Jesus had completed all these words, He said to His disciples, You know that after two days the passover comes, and the Son of man is delivered up to be crucified (Matthew 26:1-2).
According to this passage, two days after Jesus had completed the Olivet Discourse, the Passover was to begin. Since He delivered His message on Tuesday, the second day later was Thursday. The same information appears in Mark 14:1-2. So far as the Gospel of Matthew goes, there is no account of anything which He did during Wednesday or Thursday, until the time of the Passover proper. Though none of the evangelists except John tell anything about these two days, one may be certain that Jesus spent the major part of this time in prayer to God.
IV. THURSDAY EVENING THE DAY OF THE PASSOVER A. Origin of the Passover In Israel’s religious calendar, the Passover is one of the most important of the set feasts which are described in Leviticus 23:1-44. The occasion and the account of the institution of the Passover feast are found in Exodus 12:1-51 and Exodus 13:1-22. Psalms 81:1-5 is the poetical version of its origin. On the fourteenth day of the first month, Nisan, between the evenings—between 3 and 6 P.M.—the Passover was to be slain and was to be eaten that evening. None of it was to be left until the next day. The Passover proper began at sundown on the fourteenth of the month and ended at sundown the next day. Following the day of the Passover was the feast of unleavened bread, which lasted to the evening of the twenty-first day (Exodus 12:18-19). The blood of the Passover lamb was sprinkled upon the doorposts and the lintels of every Israelitish house. That night Jehovah passed over the land of Egypt, giving assurance to the people of Israel that He would pass over their houses and would not suffer the destroyer to smite their firstborn (Exodus 12:23). The Lord gave Moses the assurance that the blood sprinkled upon the doorposts and lintels would be a token upon every house where the Israelites lived: "... and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and there shall no plague be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt" (Exodus 12:13). Why did the destroying angel pass over the Israelitish homes on which the blood had been sprinkled and slay the firstborn in the houses of the Egyptians? The answer is simple. God said that He would respect the blood behind which the Israelites screened themselves. The protection lay not in the good characters, ethical standards, and spiritual values which Israel had, but solely in the blood of the lamb which had been slain in their behalf.
Footnotes:
¹ Also read my booklet Sowing and Reaping a Bumper Crop, which presents the scriptural teaching of God’s plowing, harrowing, and leveling, figuratively speaking, the earth in preparation for the world-wide seed-sowing which will be done in the Tribulation, and which will result in the salvation of more than half the people of the earth.
² Who is referred to by the pronoun you? Obviously Christ was speaking to His disciples who would be living at the time of the end of the age, World War I; for He says, "Whenever you see all these things [namely, a world war, accompanied by famines, pestilences, and earthquakes] ..." He, therefore, was talking to the generation that would be living at the time of the occurrence of the sign and old enough to understand the prophecy and to identify current events as the fulfillment of this prediction.
³ Psalms 24:1-6, quoted above, throws light upon this most important phase of truth. In Psalms 24:1-2 the declaration is made that the earth and all therein belong to Jehovah. They will be His on three counts: first, by original creation; second, by redemption at the cross; and third, by conquest at His Second Coming. In Psalms 24:3 the question is asked as to who will ascend into the hill of Jehovah—Jerusalem glorified in the Kingdom Age—and stand approved in God’s presence. This question is answered in Psalms 24:4. Those who will be allowed to enter the Kingdom are the good moral people of that time who will be living up to the light that they have. According to Psalms 24:5, these people will receive a special blessing from Jehovah, even righteousness of the God of their salvation. They will, therefore, be saved, not by their own works, but by faith. They will hear the truth, believe, and accept it, and receive Christ the Messiah who will give to them His righteousness. They will, therefore, be saved by grace through faith.
It was God’s will that Israel should observe this Passover feast every year at the appointed time. Since the blood of no animal could meet the moral and spiritual qualifications that are involved in the welfare of a soul, it is quite evident that the Passover ceremonies and blood were only emblematic of that which is efficacious in a moral, ethical, and spiritual sense. This truth is seen by an examination of the prophecy regarding the servant of Jehovah (Isaiah 52:13-15; Isaiah 53:1-12) who offers Himself in sacrifice to atone for the sins of mankind.
B. Examination of Passages Regarding the Passover
Since in some quarters the Scriptures have been interpreted as teaching that Jesus partook of the Passover a day ahead of the regular time, it is necessary to look at all events and data to determine the facts. A misunderstanding has arisen because of a failure to comprehend the different meanings which the word Passover has in the New Testament. In Matthew 26:1-2, it refers to the Passover as one of Israel’s festivals, set feasts. In the parallel account, Mark 14:1-2, the Passover festival and the festival of unleavened bread are blended together and are referred to as the feast. In Mark 14:12, the Passover refers to the paschal lamb: "And on the first day of unleavened bread, when they sacrificed the Passover, his disciples say unto him ..." But in Matthew 26:17 the Passover means the paschal supper: "Where dost Thou wish that we prepare for Thee to eat the passover?" In Mark 14:14 it means the Passover supper: "The Teacher saith, Where is my guest-chamber, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples?" In Luke 22:1-2 Passover refers to the eight days of the feast of Passover and unleavened bread: "Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover." But in Luke 22:11 of this chapter, Passover refers to the Passover supper. The same usage occurs in Luke 22:13 and Luke 22:15. In John 2:13; John 2:23 the Passover refers to the Passover season or festival. The same usage occurs in John 6:4. In the passage "Now the passover of the Jews was at hand: and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the passover, to purify themselves" (John 11:55), the Passover undoubtedly refers to the Passover festival. The same meaning is given to this expression in John 12:1; John 13:1.
One should now examine carefully Christ’s observance of the Passover as recorded in John 13:1-38. When the time came to observe the Passover supper, Jesus reclined with His disciples. During supper He arose, girded Himself, and began to wash the disciples’ feet (John 13:4-5). Jesus foretold that one of those reclining with Him would betray Him. Each one asked if it was he. Jesus replied, "He it is, for whom I shall dip the sop and give it him" (John 13:26). Then Jesus gave the sop to Judas, saying, "What thou doest, do quickly" (John 13:27). No one present knew why Jesus made this statement. Some thought that He indicated that Judas, since he carried the purse of the group, was to give something to the poor or to buy something for the feast. When Judas received the sop, "he went out straightway, and it was night" (John 13:30).
Some Bible students think that Jesus partook of the supper described in John 13:1-38, before the Passover had occurred, and that the command to Judas in John 13:27 was for him to go out quickly and buy something for the regular Passover feast to be observed. Those taking this position assume that the word feast here refers to the paschal supper—a mere guess. Since the word Passover can refer to the paschal lamb, the paschal supper, or the paschal festival, and since, in all other instances in John’s record, it refers to the paschal festival, the logical assumption is that it has the same significance here unless there is evidence to the contrary. Light is thrown upon this passage from 2 Chronicles 30:1-27, which records the observance of the Passover in the days of Hezekiah. 2 Chronicles 30:22 reads: "... So they did eat throughout the feast for the seven days, offering sacrifices of peace-offerings ..." On this occasion the people of Israel observed the feast of Passover, which is also called the feast of unleavened bread, for seven days. For this reason, obviously, John said that some of the disciples thought Judas was to buy something for the feast, which was the feast of Passover and unleavened bread. John 13:1-38, therefore, must be interpreted in the light of the usual meaning that John, as well as the synoptic writers at times, attached to the word Passover.
After observing what John called the supper, Jesus was arrested, was tried three times before the Jews, and the next day was delivered to Pilate by the members of the Jewish supreme court—the Sanhedrin. John 18:28 reads: "They lead Jesus therefore from Caiaphas into the Praetorium: and it was early; and they themselves entered not into the Praetorium, that they might not be defiled, but might eat the passover." Here again these same Bible students assume that the word Passover refers to the paschal supper and not to the paschal festival which continued for eight days—the meaning which it always has in John’s inspired record. The interpretation of the words feast in John 13:29 and Passover in John 18:28 as meaning the paschal supper is mere guesswork, and the conclusion drawn from this interpretation that it occurred a day before the usual observance is illogical, since the evidence shows clearly that Jesus partook of the supper at the regular time.
C. The Day of Preparation The day on which Jesus was crucified is recognized as the Preparation. He died about 3 o’clock in the afternoon: "And when even was now come, because it was the Preparation, that is, the day before the Sabbath …" (Mark 15:42). The day of Preparation on which Jesus was crucified is called the day before the Sabbath, that is, Friday. Matthew 27:33-56 gives an account of the Crucifixion of Jesus. According to Matthew 27:57-58, Joseph of Arimathsea obtained the body of Jesus and placed it in the tomb. Matthew states in Matthew 27:62 that "on the morrow, which is the day after the Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees were gathered together unto Pilate ..." Mark also says that the Preparation was the day before the Sabbath. Both assert that Jesus was executed on the day of the Preparation before the Sabbath. Matthew’s statement is that on the morrow after the Preparation the Jewish authorities wanted Pilate to have the tomb of Jesus sealed so that no one could take the body away. They, therefore, made this request on the Sabbath. Concerning the Crucifixion, Luke said that "it was the day of the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew on" (Luke 23:54). Jesus, therefore, was crucified on the day of Preparation, which was the day before the Sabbath. But He partook of the supper on the day before the Preparation, namely, on Thursday evening, and was crucified on Friday. The Apostle John declares that Jesus was put on trial before Pilate on "the Preparation of the passover" (John 19:14). He was executed that day. "The Jews therefore, because it was the Preparation, that the bodies should not remain on the cross upon the sabbath (for the day of that sabbath was a high day), asked of Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away" (John 19:31). In the light of all the facts, one is inevitably driven to the conclusion that Jesus partook of the Passover at the regular time, and that He was executed on the day of the Preparation, which was the day before the Sabbath. His body was laid in the tomb that afternoon, remained in it on the Sabbath, and was raised on the first day of the week.
D. The Observance of the Passover At the regular time for the observance of the Passover supper, Jesus met with His disciples in the home of a friend, which had been prepared for the ceremony, and observed it with them. All four evangelists give an account of their observance of the Passover supper. After Jesus had told His disciples that He had looked forward to eating the Passover with them on that occasion, He stated that He would never partake of it again until it would be fulfilled in the kingdom of God: that is, He will partake of the Passover when the kingdom of God will have been established upon earth and the will of God is being done on earth as it is done in heaven. According to Zechariah 14:1-21, the feast of tabernacles will also be observed during the great Kingdom Age. Ezekiel likewise foretells the renewal of certain sacrifices and ceremonies in the Millennium. It will be exactly as foretold.
E. The Institution of the Lord’s Supper
Matthew 26:20-25 is an account of Christ’s observing the Passover supper with His disciples. But Matthew 26:26-29 give an account of His instituting what is usually called the Lord’s Supper. Judas was present as they observed the Passover, but he left before it was finished, as John 13:27-30 shows. After Judas had left, and after the supper had been finished, Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper. Luke in his record, Luke 22:14-23, makes the facts stand out very clearly. In Luke 22:14-18 he gives the account of the observance of the Passover supper. Then in Luke 22:19-20 he gives the record of the institution of the Lord’s Supper. But he is careful to state that Jesus gave the disciples the loaf and likewise the cup after the supper. Since Judas left during the Passover supper, and since the Lord’s Supper was instituted after the Passover had been completed, we may be certain that Judas was not present when the Lord’s Supper was instituted.
F. Prayer in the Garden
After Jesus had instituted the Lord’s Supper, He had a quiet talk with His apostles while they were still in the upper room (John 13:31-38; John 14:1-31). On the way to the Garden of Gethsemane, He continued talking with them (John 15:1-27 and John 16:1-33).
Before reaching the Kidron Valley and the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed fervently His great high-priestly, intercessory prayer, recorded in John 17:1-26. When one comes to this matchless prayer, he is on the holiest ground of the Scriptures.
V. EVENTS OF FRIDAY Events began to move very rapidly after Jesus had arrived in the Garden.
A. The Arrest of Jesus In all probability it was after midnight, Thursday night, when Judas with a band of soldiers from the high priest came to arrest Jesus (Matthew 26:47-56). All four evangelists give an account of the arrest. When Jesus was seized, the disciples fled. But Peter followed the Lord afar off.
B. The Trial Before Annas
Jesus was led from the Garden to the palace of Annas, the ex-high priest. One should remember that at this time the Romans controlled Palestine. They appointed whom they wished to the high priesthood and demoted or removed them at will. According to John’s record, John 18:12-13, Jesus was led directly to the palace of Annas, where He had a preliminary trial. It occurred, therefore, before morning.
C. The Trial Before Caiaphas From the court of Annas, Jesus was led by the soldiers to the palace of Caiaphas, the high priest (John 18:14-27). Certain of the rulers were with the high priest when Jesus was put through a gruelling ordeal. This session, also, was held at night.
D. The Trial Before Caiaphas and the Whole Sanhedrin The trial before the Sanhedrin is found in Matthew 26:57-75 and Luke 22:54-65. Either John does not give an account of the first trial before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin or he blends the two into a single picture (John 18:28-40; John 19:1-6).
E. The Second Trial Before Caiaphas and the Whole Court
Since Jewish law forbade trying a man for his life at a night session of the court, a second trial before the Sanhedrin was conducted after the break of day, as all four records of the Gospel show (Matthew 27:1-2; Mark 15:1-5; Luke 22:66-71; John 18:28-32).
F. The Trial Before Pilate
All the evangelists state that the Sanhedrin delivered Christ over to Pilate to be tried and condemned. But Luke gives additional information regarding Pilate’s actions. Hearing that Jesus had taught in Galilee, Pilate immediately sent Him to Herod, the ruler of that province, who was at that time in Jerusalem. By so doing, Pilate thought that he would get rid of Jesus (Luke 23:5-12). To Herod’s questions Jesus replied nothing. Herod, therefore, sent Him back to Pilate. Since the trial before Pilate was interrupted by his sending Jesus to Herod, some speak of Christ’s being tried twice before Pilate and once before Herod. It is largely a matter of terminolgy. All four evangelists speak of Christ’s trial before Pilate (Matthew 27:11-31; Mark 15:2-20; Luke 23:3-7; Luke 23:13-25; John 18:28-40; John 19:1-16).
VI. THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS From a purely human standpoint, the Crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth is the tragedy of all tragedies (Matthew 27:32-56, Mark 15:21-41, Luke 23:26-49, John 19:17-37). While one stands gazing appalled at the cross, he beholds behind the scene the real actors in this drama; and, from this correct point of view, he gets an impression of this greatest of all events entirely different from the popular idea. A vision of the crucified Jesus loomed before King David: My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? Why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my groaning?
0 my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou answerest not; And in the night season, and am not silent. But thou art holy, 0 thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in thee: They trusted, and thou didst deliver them.
They cried unto thee, and were delivered: They trusted in thee, and were not put to shame. But I am a worm, and no man; A reproach of men, and despised of the people.
All they that see me laugh me to scorn: They shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, Commit thyself unto Jehovah; let him deliver him: Let him rescue him, seeing he delighteth in him. But thou art he that took me out of the womb; Thou didst make me trust when I was upon my mother’s breasts.
I was cast upon thee from the womb; Thou art my God since my mother bare me. Be not far from me; for trouble is near; For there is none to help.
Many bulls have compassed me; Strong bulls of Bashan have beset me round.
They gape upon me with their mouth, As a ravening and a roaring lion.
I am poured out like water, And all my bones are out of joint: My heart is like wax; It is melted within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; And my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; And thou hast brought me into the dust of death. For dogs have compassed me: A company of evil-doers have inclosed me; They pierced my hands and my feet.
I may count all my bones; They look and stare upon me.
They part my garments among them, And upon my vesture do they cast lots. But be not thou far off, 0 Jehovah: 0 thou my succor, haste thee to help me.
Deliver my soul from the sword, My darling from the power of the dog.
Save me from the lion’s mouth; Yea, from the horns of the wild-oxen thou hast answered me (Psalms 22:1-21).
Stepping by faith behind the scene, one sees here who is directing this drama of dramas. According to Isaiah 53:10, God the Father makes "his [Messiah’s] soul an offering for sin. ..." In this tragedy "the pleasure of Jehovah" prospers in His hand. This entire unparalleled event is an expression of the love of God for lost humanity. At the same time, viewed from another angle, the Crucifixion of the Messiah was the work of an inveterate, diabolical hatred of all that is good, true, pure, and holy on the part of the archenemy of God and man—Satan. But in every detail, God the Father is overruling and directing all things for the advancement of His cause among men.
VII. THE BURIAL OF JESUS
Behind this greatest of all tragedies was God, who allows everyone to make his own free choices and to carry out his impulses and desires, yet overrules all things and directs all movements of history. He had foretold through Isaiah that the Messiah would be with a rich man in His dying: "And they made his grave with the wicked, and with a rich man in his death; although he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth" (Isaiah 53:9). This prediction was fulfilled when a courageous ruler of Israel, Joseph of Arimathaea, went boldly to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. It was granted to him. He and Nicodemus, another ruler of Israel, according to the customary mode of burial, interred the body in Joseph’s new tomb. Though they probably did not realize the fact, they were doing exactly what had been foretold through Isaiah nearly eight hundred years before. The account of the burial is found in Matthew 27:57-66, Mark 15:42-47, Luke 23:50-56, and John 19:38-42.
VIII. LENGTH OF TIME FROM THE BURIAL TO THE RESURRECTION
There has been no little discussion regarding the length of time that the body of Jesus lay in the tomb; but, when the facts are noted carefully, all differences vanish. On various occasions Jesus foretold His Crucifixion and Resurrection. Sometimes, as in Matthew 16:21; Matthew 17:22-23; and Matthew 20:17-19, He said that He would rise on the third day. At other times, as in Mark 8:31; Mark 9:31; and Mark 10:34, He said that He would rise from the dead after three days. On one special occasion He declared that, as Jonah was in the belly of the sea monster three days and three nights, so should the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth (Matthew 12:39-40). It is clear, however, from the contexts of these passages that these various expressions refer to the length of time that His body would be in the tomb. The exact time that the body of Jesus was in the tomb is set forth in Luke 23:50-56; Luke 24:1-36. He was crucified on the day of the Preparation and was buried the same day. "And it was the day of the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew on" (Luke 23:54). The Sabbath followed the day of the Preparation on which Jesus was crucified. Luke 23:56 shows that certain women prepared spices and ointments and on the Sabbath rested according to the commandment. Thus it is clear from this passage that Jesus was crucified on the day of the Preparation, which was immediately before the Sabbath. The day before the Sabbath is Friday. Jesus was crucified, therefore, on Friday and buried late in the afternoon, "as the sabbath drew on." According to Luke 24:1, on the first day of the week at early dawn some women came to the tomb and found it empty. The first day of the week followed the Sabbath day. From these facts one sees that Jesus’ body was put in the tomb late on Friday afternoon, that it remained there throughout the Sabbath, and that it was raised before dawn on Sunday morning. Thus our Lord’s body was in the tomb one full day, the Sabbath; a few hours on Friday; and several hours on Sunday—the first day of the week. It was in the tomb then one full day and parts of two others. These facts are in perfect accord with the statement that He would rise on the third day. He literally rose on the third day: but, as was customary among the Jews, He spoke rather loosely of His rising after three days. Since the expressions "on the third day" and "after three days" refer to the same time, and since His body was in the tomb only one day and parts of two others, the term "after three days" is not to be taken absolutely literally, but in harmony with all the facts and the expression "on the third day." Also the expression "three days and three nights," which is taken from the Book of Jonah, refers to the same length of time that the body of Jesus was in the tomb. The expression "three days and three nights" is just another term to indicate three days or on the third day.
IX. THOSE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CRUCIFIXION OF JESUS A. Prophetic Interpretation
Isaiah 52:13-15; Isaiah 53:1-12 is a prediction concerning the Crucifixion of the Messiah. In Isaiah 53:10 a marvelous statement appears: "Yet it pleased Jehovah to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of Jehovah shall prosper in his hand." In my volume The Eternal God Revealing Himself to Suffering Israel and to Lost Humanity, I have proved beyond a peradventure that the servant who is presented in Isaiah 52:13-15; Isaiah 53:1-12 is none other than the Messiah. I have shown, moreover, that the interpretation which claims that the suffering servant in this passage is either the nation of Israel or the remnant of the nation is unfounded and without support in fact. One may be sure, therefore, that Isaiah is speaking of an individual, the Messiah. A similar prophecy appears in Zechariah 13:7 : "Awake, 0 sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith Jehovah of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered; and I will turn my hand upon the little ones." God here is in command of this entire scene. He calls upon the sword to awake against His shepherd and against the man who is His equal. (The word translated fellow in the Hebrew means the one who is equal to others of the same class. God here speaks of this man as His equal.) In this passage, sword is either a personification or a term used to address the one who wields it. In vision then the prophet sees the Lord God Almighty in charge of the entire situation. He issues a command that His shepherd, even the man who is His equal, be smitten by the sword. Whoever wields the sword must carry out this command. In Matthew 26:31 Jesus quotes this passage, not literally, but giving the sense of it: "... All of you will be offended in me on this night: for it is written, I shall smite the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered." The Lord Jesus Christ knew the import of Zechariah’s prophecy and interpreted it in His own words. He realized that it was God who had planned that He should be slain. When Jesus was observing the Passover supper, He foretold the treachery of Judas. In commenting upon the betrayal, He said, "The Son of man goes, just as it has been written concerning Him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of man is betrayed ..." (Matthew 26:24). Several times, in discussing different points, Jesus told His disciples that certain events would occur because the Scriptures could not be broken, but must be fulfilled. It is clear from His utterances that His suffering and dying for the human family was foreordained by God.
B. Peter’s Interpretation
Guided by the Spirit, the Apostle Peter also attributed the Crucifixion of Christ to the planning of God and His executing His purpose of the ages. In Acts, chapter 2, appears an account of the first sermon preached by the Apostle Peter after the Resurrection of Christ. On this occasion he spoke to a vast throng of people in Jerusalem concerning the Lord Jesus and God’s plan regarding Him:
Ye men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God unto you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him in the midst of you, even as ye yourselves know; him, being delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye by the hand of lawless men did crucify and slay: whom God raised up, having loosed the pangs of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it (Acts 2:22-24).
One should note carefully how the Apostle stated the case of Jesus and His Crucifixion. A man approved of God by miraculous works which He had performed, Jesus had been "delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God ..." The expression "delivered up" is clearly a reference to His being delivered over to the Romans to be crucified. His being delivered up to be crucified was by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. Peter thus declares that God had a plan which involved the Crucifixion of Messiah. It was, therefore, decreed that Jesus should be crucified. The Apostle affirmed, moreover, that those among the Jews in the audience who had clamored for the Crucifixion had by the hand of lawless men crucified and slain Him. To accomplish the death of Jesus, they had to turn Him over to the Romans, who at that time had the authority to execute the death sentence upon anyone of the nation. It is clear that Peter did not accuse the Jewish people of being "Christ killers," as they have frequently been called. But he was very particular and expressive. God foreordained that the Messiah should suffer. The Jews who participated in the execution, or in bringing it about, did so on their own initiative and are responsible to God for what they did. The Romans, the men without law, are likewise held responsible for what they did. The individuals who justify and exonerate those who actually demanded the Crucifixion of Jesus are also held by the Lord as being responsible for their actions and attitude with regard to this tragedy of tragedies.
Peter, in his second recorded message, declared: And now, brethren, I know that in ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. But the things which God foreshowed by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ should suffer, he thus fulfilled (Acts 3:17-18). This utterance shows that those who participated in the execution of Jesus did not realize that, in demanding and clamoring for the Crucifixion, they were simply calling for the carrying out of those things which, through various prophets, God had foretold should be done. Thus again Peter traces the execution of Jesus back to the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. When Peter preached the sermon recorded in Acts 3:1-26, he and the Apostle John were arrested and kept in prison overnight. The next morning they were brought before the Jewish court and commanded not to preach any more, in the name of Jesus, the resurrection from the dead. Peter told the court that he had to speak forth that which he had seen and that which he knew to be true. After scourging these two apostles, the authorities released them from confinement. They returned to the company of believers and held a prayer meeting. In their prayer they saw a partial fulfillment of Psalms 2:1-3 in the action that had been taken against Jesus by the civil authorities. Quoting part of the Psalm, they continued their prayer by saying: for of a truth in this city against thy holy Servant Jesus, whom thou didst anoint, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the peoples of Israel, were gathered together, to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel foreordained to come to pass (Acts 4:27-28).
According to this statement, what Herod, Pontius Pilate, and the Jewish Sanhedrin did against Jesus was the carrying out of whatsoever God’s hand and counsel had foreordained to come to pass. This passage also shows who was responsible for the Crucifixion of Jesus. In writing to the Hebrew Christians in Asia Minor, the Apostle Peter gave the spiritual interpretation of the tragedy of the cross: For it is better, if the will of God should so will, that ye suffer for well doing than for evil-doing. Because Christ also suffered for sins once, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God; being put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; in which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison, that aforetime were disobedient, when the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved through water: which also after a true likeness doth now save you, even baptism, not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the interrogation of a good conscience toward God, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ (1 Peter 3:17-21). In foreordaining before the foundation of the world the Crucifixion of Christ and the shedding of His precious blood that cleanses from all sin, God had the eternal good of man at heart and was opening up a new and a living way whereby mankind might approach God and obtain eternal salvation through His sacrifice and offering.
C. Paul’s Interpretation The inspired Apostle Paul put this same interpretation upon the tragedy of the cross. In Acts 17:1-3 is an account of his preaching in the synagogue of Thessalonica, where he reasoned for three Sabbaths with the Jews concerning the Scriptures, "opening and alleging that it behooved the Christ to suffer, and to rise again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom, said he, I proclaim unto you, is the Christ." According to this statement and many others, God had foreordained that Messiah should suffer and die for the redemption of humanity—for all who will believe and accept His free grace. In a speech before King Herod Agrippa, Paul declared:
Having therefore obtained the help that is from God, I stand unto this day testifying both to small and great, saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses did say should come; how that the Christ must suffer, and how that he first by the resurrection of the dead should proclaim light both to the people and to the Gentiles (Acts 26:22-23).
Paul, this great protagonist of the faith, claimed that he was testifying to both the small and the great, saying nothing but what the Prophets and Moses had said would come to pass; namely, "how that Christ must suffer, and how that he first by the resurrection of the dead should proclaim light both to the people [of Israel] and to the Gentiles."
These various quotations from the Apostles Peter and Paul show clearly how they presented the gospel message. They did not accuse the Jewish nation of being Christ killers, but simply showed that God through His love for lost humanity planned before the foundation of the world this scheme of redemption for mankind. In His love and omniscience, He provided a means of escape from eternal banishment "from the glory of His might."
D. God Using Blinded Men to Accomplish His Purposes
Someone has truly said that God uses a dirty man to do a dirty job. But God also uses good men and women to perform honorable, good, upright works. The Lord endowed man with a free will, the power of choice. Though He does use influences in trying to get men to accept the right and to choose to do that which is best for them, yet He never forces or coerces the will. He stops short of stepping over the threshold of their personality and of forcing them in any way whatsoever. Whosoever will may come. Any man who wills to do the will of God, shall know of the teaching, declared Jesus, whether He was speaking of Himself or whether He was speaking the message of God (John 7:17).
Judas was a thief from the very beginning. Jesus knew that He would have to be betrayed and chose a man of the character of Judas to do the diabolic work of a traitor. Moreover those leaders of Israel who were not hungering and thirsting after God and doing the will of God, but who had their own set ideas and were determined to hold on to them regardless of all circumstances, God used to help carry out His eternal plan and purpose of redeeming the human family through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, the Son of God. He also used the Romans to help carry out the eternal plan.
Through the realization that God planned and overruled all things in the life of Jesus for the good of mankind, that He used blinded, wicked men to accomplish His purpose, and that He is working everything for the good of man, one can see the tragedy of the cross in the correct light and praise God for it.