On June 12, 1987, President Ronald Reagan gave his “Berlin Wall Speech.” In that speech, Reagan uttered the famous words: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”
While the Berlin Wall was destroyed, the real demand to the head of the Soviet Union was only symbolized by the wall separating West Berlin from East Berlin. The wall that needed to come down was the Iron Curtain.
The Berlin Wall became a non-factor over a number of days in November 1989. The Soviet Union and its tight control of the “Eastern Bloc” of nations (run by Communist puppets) dissolved over the years 1989 and 1990. In 1991, the Russian people freely elected it first president.
“Ding-dong, the witch is dead! Which old witch? The wicked witch
Ding-dong, the wicked witch is dead.”
Former KGB leader, Vlad Putin – now President for Life (in a landslide vote), reminiscent of the power wielded by Joe Stalin – has been rebuilding that invisible wall since 1999 (officially). That wall has grown strong enough to develop weapons that can take out any challengers – a boast clearly aimed towards any and all American presidents who might be bold enough to repeat the request made by actor Ron.
So much for the world being a better place to live in.
While the date has not been clearly noted in the books of history, roughly two thousand years ago Jesus made his first visit to Jerusalem as an official priest of Yahweh. He caused a stir by flipping over the tables of the vendors, which were set up to make a pretty penny off all the pilgrims in town for the Passover.
We read in John’s Gospel: “[Jesus] told those who were selling the doves, “Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!” (Matthew 2:16)
The people watching this new crazed rabbi doing such acts said to Jesus, “What sign can you show us for doing this?”
In that question, the Greek word translated as “sign” is “sēmeion,” which is better stated as them meaning, “miracle, indication, mark, token.” That means Jesus was asked, “What distinguishing mark [such as a letter of authorization] can you produce that says, ‘Jesus of Nazareth has the right to overturn vendor tables on the steps of Herod’s Temple. – Signed by the High Priest.'”?
Because the Greek word “sēmeion” does translate as “sign,” that also says the Jews asked [without realizing it], “What miracle can you produce that gives you the right to be destructive here at our beautiful temple?”
That double entendre opened the door for Jesus to speak the truth in response to their question, while leaving them all looking at one another, saying, “Huh?”
Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
That was the miracle. That was the sign.
Of course, everyone’s gaze then turned to pan all the glory of the beautification work that had been going on over the past forty-six years, transforming the Second Temple (a modest reproduction authorized by Persians financiers) into Herod’s Temple. Thus, they scoffed at Jesus, saying, “This temple has been under construction for forty-six years, and will you raise it up in three days?”
John explained the obvious – obvious to him as the adult writer of his Gospel, who knew the true meaning of what Jesus meant. John wrote, “[Jesus] was speaking of the temple of his body.”
In 70 A.D. [call it the Era of Commoners now – C.E.] the Romans completed a four-year campaign against a Jewish uprising in Judaea, which destroyed much of existing Jerusalem, including the glorious Temple that Herod began, intending to make a first-class shrine to his legacy.
Last time I checked, no one has rebuilt that temple; although the Muslims did construct a dome on that rocky mound where the old Second Temple supposedly had stood. Jesus, however, just three years later (again in Jerusalem for the Passover) was destroyed; and, after three days being dead, his temple unto the Lord was raised again.
Interestingly, the Greek word translated as “I will raise up” (“egerō“) is not a word that ordinarily implies rebuilding, like a barn raising; although, it does bear that usage, when used in the context of buildings. The main usage implies “to waken,” such that what has fallen asleep and laid down has been revived and stood back up.
The aspect of sleep and being awake is then the repeated theme found in the parables of Jesus that say death is the sleep state and life is the wake state. This is furthered, when one realizes Jesus called the life of a soul in a body that is certainly going to die the sleep state. Human are given temporary life, which seems real, just like a dream when asleep. Eternal life is then the truth of being awake.
That is then why God sent His Son – to wake up the faithful, by showing them their need for being reborn as the Son of God. Call that a plan being for a lot of human temples being torn down consequently, all resurrected as Jesus Christ [i.e.: Christianity]. The ones who only call themselves the children of Yahweh are only dreaming (dead asleep in breathing bodies of flesh). That is what the Jews were doing. They were sleep-walking just like their ancestors, heading for a cliff or a hole in the ground [a grave]. They needed to wake up and become eternally living souls of the Father.
Many temples of Yahweh were raised on the Day of Pentecost that followed the death of Jesus’ sleeping body (Jesus of Nazareth), his resurrection as the everlasting transformed Holy Spirit merged with a soul in the body of flesh (Jesus Christ), and the release of that Holy Spirit soul of Jesus Christ so its ascension could make it the Holy Spirit that would awaken his disciples, transforming them into Apostles (Jesus Christ reborn).
Those temples spread like wildfire all around the globe.
Then, probably around the time that Emperor Constantine saw his collapsing empire in need of a transfusion, someone forgotten in the history books must have orated: “Mr. Saint Peter, let’s rebuild that Temple!.”
Rather than have many millions of faithful be transformed from sleeping dead people into awake Apostles – all guaranteed the reward of a soul in the eternal wake state of Heaven – somehow, somewhere, someone reverted to being just like the elders of Israel who huddled up and then went to Samuel and said, “All this saintly work is too hard for us. Tell God to tell us where we can build Him cathedrals, so we can say “God lives here!” and then all we have to do is go sit in that building and pretend we are awake in Spirit.”
Does the name Vlad Putin ring a bell? I wonder if he has a family tree that goes back to Constantinople?
Like an old 45-rpm record on an old hi-fi record player, the song has reached its end and the child has picked up the stylus arm and set the needle back on the beginning groove. It is like Humphrey Bogart’s character leaning on the piano, saying, “Play it again, Sam.”
It is the same song, singing the same verse. The lyrics still sing:
“Take these things out of here! Stop making my Father’s house a marketplace!”
“Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.”
“He was speaking of the temple of his body [not a building of stones].”
We have returned to the days of Herod’s Temple, where vendors set up tables so they can sell their wares. The only difference is the vendors are not selling doves and lambs [or other small sacrificial animals], they are selling the theatrics of holding up large circular matzahs and snapping them in half, while pouring red wine from a decanter into a silver goblet. The animals being sacrificed are the same as those who were pilgrims in Jerusalem back in Jesus’ day, when the Jews were all gathered around the Temple for the spectacle and display of pious pretense, in the dream-state of living death. Jesus watched them all line up for food and drink, having a bird killed to purify themselves, as if that was the only thing needed to be done to gain favor from G-d.
The priests, pastors, ministers, preachers, rabbis, bishops, cardinals, popes and high priests all scream to anyone who would dare upset that way of religiosity:
“What sign can you show us for no longer doing this?”
Forget about the same answer Jesus gave way back then as what ‘Christians’ today want to hear. The Jews then were just like the ‘Israelites’ led to the Promised Land by Moses. Forget the fact that their ancestors had squandered their rights to call Yahweh their daddy long before. They were happy as pigs in slop (or ox on the grill) with the Romans allowing them to make lots of money in their pretty refurbished Temple. Just like Americans today are happy with the Federal government not taxing them to play church, as the children of Jesus Christ, they chant, “We ain’t broke! Don’t fix it!”
That is the same song, different verse.
The end today is ‘Christians’ acting just like the Jews of yesterday did, only this time they sing about: Nailing true Christianity to a tree, so the buzzards of the world can pick the carcass of the Western World clean.
“Ding-dong, righteousness is dead! Which righteousness? The Saints of Christ Ding-dong, the righteous are all dead.”
Jesus said to his disciples, on the eve before his final Passover week would take flight:
“Do you see all these things? Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” (Matthew 24:2)
Jesus says that to us today … if anyone still considers himself or herself to be one of his disciples.
This means it is us who should ask, “When will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
Simply by asking this question, one has to realize what an “age” is. In general use, “an age” is the length of time relative to life. Dictionary.com says this:
“The length of time during which a being or thing has existed; length of life or existence to the time spoken of or referred to.”
“A period of human life, measured by years from birth, usually marked by a certain stage or degree of mental or physical development and involving legal responsibility and capacity.”
That understanding means disciples today ask Jesus, “How long will Christianity live?” That then has us asking, “What will be the miracle [proof of authority – the sign] that will signify when everything built up has been thrown down?”
This then forces one to realize the deeper meaning of an astronomical “age.” That term calculates to roughly 2,155 years. The astrological significance of “age” means Jesus said that to his disciples at the beginning of the Age of Pisces. So, the end of that age is the beginning of the Age of Aquarius. Today is roughly 2,000 years since the disciples posed that question to Jesus. Assuming those words were some number of years into that New Age, we are now living at the “end of the age” of Christianity.
Jesus then answered the question of his disciples, just as he answered the question of the Jews three years before – about what “signs give you permission to complain about the way things operate around here?” He said:
“Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many.” (Matthew 24:4-5)
The Apostles-Saints who had Jesus Christ as their cornerstones [i.e.: beautiful temples to Yahweh] would crumble because of False Shepherds. That is indeed what happened when the Roman Catholic Church began elevating popes to all-powerful positions, as if they were the spokesmen for Jesus Christ. They were each making that claim, as if being elected to that position made them more valuable than a true Saint ministering to the people, transforming many more into true Saints while doing so.
“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.” (Matthew 24:6)
Certainly, this modern generation is not alone in the threats of warfare. The stronghold of Constantine was always threatened by the Saracens [Arab Muslims]. The Church of Rome was regularly threatened by Mongol hordes and those who hated the Roman Empire [call it holy or anything else]. The Crusades were “wars and rumors of wars.” They happened so Christianity could grow, regardless of the evil intent behind the deceptions.
“Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.” (Matthew 24:7)
The spread of Christianity into Europe gave rise to leaders who claimed a birthright to lead, due to genetics related to the bloodline of Jesus [yes there was one]. European history is the stuff of wars between nations, with nations regularly aligning with others, due to Christian values. The element of “famines and earthquakes” (from “limoi kai seismoi“) also means “hunger kai commotions” in various places. More than Jesus telling us about natural disasters, he was saying the end would be due to a lack of Spiritual food being afforded the people and the commotions of philosophy bringing radical breaks from religious beliefs, in the place of spiritual food. Russia suffered from such an ‘earthquake’ when it became deconsecrated in 1917.
“All these are the beginning of birth pains.” (Matthew 24:8)
The “birth pangs” (from “ōdinōn“) means the pregnancy of a new age about to be born. The last five hundred years, when the imperialism of Western Europe circumnavigated the globe, wielding a sword, followed by the cross of persecution, has been the slow development in the womb of humanity that will give birth painfully to an age where technology and science will be the next gods commonly worshipped.
“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.” (Matthew 24:9)
Certainly, all of the disciples of Jesus (except Judas, who was there listening to Jesus tell this prophecy) would be reborn as Jesus Christ [those on Pentecost] and then also suffer the fate of Jesus of Nazareth [death of the flesh, ascension of the soul], but their executions based on persecutions were due to the Jews and their overlords – the Romans. The hatred by “all the nations” (from “pantōn tōn ethnōn“) means “every form of peoples.” Those Gentiles come by the names: Soviets, Red Chinese, Caliphates in the Middle East, Socialists, Marxists, Antifa, Black Lives Matter, the European Union, on and on and on. The hatred will not be due to Saints in the name of Jesus Christ being hated. Instead, it will be the liars claiming to be Christian leaders who will prove to be evil. Any nation claiming to be supportive of Christianity will be attacked by hatred.
“At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.” (Matthew 24:10-11)
This brings in the Twentieth Century, especially after it was announced “God is Dead!” The decreases in the numbers of those claiming to have religious beliefs in the West [non-immigrants from Muslim nations] has dwindled significantly. The denominations have changed in numbers, with the creations of false religions [I include Mormons here, but many splits within Christianity and new creations claiming the name of Jesus] being for accumulation of wealth, attracting the ignorant. Televangelists and mega-church leaders are nothing more than wolves feeding off the lambs.
“Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:12-13)
Bishops of religions have proclaimed to be abominations openly, without the slightest regret for a sinful life, broadcasting the collapse of all pretense of righteousness. The embrace of abortion, the desecration of marriage as meaningless, the support of racism as some sick act of self-flagellation (among many other great sins) will pronounce the acceptance of lawlessness (“anomian” translated as “wickedness”). The aspect of “growing cold,” stemming from the Greek “psygēsetai,” will be the “breath of life” that comes from the “love” of Yahweh, as His Son. Cold becomes synonymous with the corpse that will be the religion formerly known as Christianity. Only individuals and those who the righteous flock together with, retaining their values as Saints unrecognized, will stand firm and receive their reward of eternal life.
“And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:14)
The growth and spread of Christianity will have reached all the ends of the earth. All nations and all peoples will know what is printed in the Holy Bible. It will be stated in all languages, so the people will have access to the Word. Still, the Word cannot be fully known without being reborn as Jesus Christ. When the Saints leave the earth, the end will come. There will not be a redo of God sending His only Son to teach the world how to wake up and save lost souls once again.
By being able to see this depth of detail, even the poorest excuse of a human being (with an educated adult brain – able to read and understand words written) can make sense of the end of what Jesus told his disciples. Part of that summation states:
“So when you see standing in the holy place ‘the abomination that causes desolation’, spoken of through the prophet Daniel—let the reader understand— then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let no one on the housetop go down to take anything out of the house. Let no one in the field go back to get their cloak. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! Pray that your flight will not take place in winter or on the Sabbath. For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time.”
This is not the Rapture that Baptists pee themselves thinking will come. If alive during this phase (meaning the death of a soul within flesh), you will not only be dead in temporal flesh, you will wish your soul was able to die too. The “desolation spoken of through the prophet Daniel” is the ultimate death. As it is now, death is a doorway to reincarnation. Souls are recycled to come back into bodies of flesh, with the opportunity to change the fate of their souls. Once again they will have the opportunity to listen to the Word and believe. They will be asked to sacrifice their self-egos in a marriage of soul to Holy spirit, in complete submission to Yahweh. They will be asked to give birth to God’s Son, making that soul truly be in the name of Jesus Christ. However, when the end of Christianity comes – the desolation spoken through the prophet Daniel – that is the end of the line. Being recycled will come with no opportunity for eternal life as a soul without flesh.
Much eschatology has been written about what Jesus told his disciples on Mount Olivet before his final Passover. The hope has to be found in Jesus telling them, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Matthew 24:35) To see the hope more clearly, the way to read this verse relies on the Greek text, which is this:
“ho ouranous kai hē gē pareleusetai , hoi de logoi mou ou mē parelthōsin .” That literally states, “this spiritual heaven kai that matter [earth] will be rendered void , all on top of this divine words of me not lest shall be rendered void .”
The separations created by the word kai and a comma mark create three statements. The first addresses that everything stated by Jesus was not coming from his brain, but it was spiritually revealed through his lips by the Father, via divine inspiration. Second, the word kai introduces a most important statement. The statement focuses on the material realm – earth – which is death. More than saying that a comet will strike the earth and create another extinction of all living creatures on the surface of the earth, it says that the soul is the only thing that can bring a semblance of life to dust, clay, and dirt. In the end of everyone’s sleep-state of life, the “earth will pass away.” Third, Jesus said, as a caveat of a soul animating dead earth (following a comma mark), one’s fate is dependent on whether or not one hears the words of God [through Jesus, as one’s soul-flesh being reborn in the Christ] and sacrifices self-ego prior to the death of the flesh. The double negative (“ou mē” = “no not”) says refusing to heed his words will make one go the way of the flesh – eternal condemnation (die and die again – repeat). Still, the conditional [“shall”] is the hope of choice. You get to decide how your soul ends up … not someone else [i.e.: false shepherds].