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So then in the next verse which is in Matthew and not Luke it says he will send His angels to the four corners of the earth to gather his elect. The meaning is very simple. Angels besides meaning angelic beings also means messengers. Since this is not the last day, but is rather the beginning of the Kingdom, Jesus sends his angels who are the messengers of the gospel to bring in the elect by the preaching of the gospel throughout the earth. The angels are those men and woman sent into all the earth with Christs glorious gospel of salvation. This is rather the beginning of the bringing in of the gentiles. This then is what this coming of the Son of Man means. It does not mean the last day. The last day is a different event to this. Which is why in Matthew that day is mentioned at the end of chapter 25. This harmonises the gospel in all truth and we can say that no one need not believe the bible, because Jesus never failed to bring in the Kindom of God. This is clearly based on misinterpretation of the bible in Matthew 24 and as well as Luke 21 and Mark 13. The bible is indeed established in Integrity. The bible is never wrong it is usually our understanding that is wrong.
After all this Jesus tells the disciples the parable of the fig tree. Basically Jesus says you know Summer is near when the fig tree shoots forth. In the same way Jesus says, when they see all the things Jesus has spoken about happen, they can know the kingdom of God is at hand. It is not that the Kingdom of God hasn't already come in the sense of the now. it is the expectation of the future Kingdom of God that Jesus will bring about at his return. Jesus then assures them that, that generation would not pass away until all these things had come to pass. This plainly and clearly puts all that has been spoken about in the time of that generation. This event has happened and all that remains is for Jesus to return again to bring an end to this evil and wicked age. As Psalm 110 is quoted by Paul in Corinthians 15 that Jesus must reign at the right hand of the father until he has put Gods enemies beneath His feet. Then Jesus will hand the Kingdom to the Father, so that God will be all in all. Jesus has already started to reign!! Jesus finishes off with an exhortation to his disciples. He tells them to take heed to themselveslest their hearts become weighed down with drunkeness, carousing and the cares of this life. and that day come upon them unexpectedly. For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the earth. Watch therefore and pray that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things which will come to pass and to stand before the Son of Man. While it is clear that Jesus is exhorting them to be ready for all these events and not to get bogged down in the cares of this life and all that goes with it. He tells them to pray that they escape this judgement and to be found able to stand before Jesus as judge. This is this passages first and immediate application. Of course we who are 2000 years after these events would do well to take this advice not to fall into drunkeness and the cares of the world and also to pray to escape the judgements that God is pouring out on the earth and that we would be found to stand in glory and honour and not fall in shame and dishonour before the Son of Man, Jesus Christ at his return on the last day. |
