MATTHEW 24
Ques There was much to intervene before His coming?
CAC It is important to see that all this is not addressed to the saints of the assembly.
Rem It is for the comfort of the remnant in a future day.
Rem The disciples had been occupied with the temple and had not yet realized what was resident in Himself.
CAC The Jews had the idea that there was the present age and the coming age when Messiah would come, and the disciples thought that the present age would be ended when the Lord came; and the glad tidings of the kingdom would be, I suppose, that He was coming to introduce a different age altogether. It is part of the testimony even today; it should be made known that Christ is coming to introduce a new age on the earth. He makes it clear that there would be an interval during which He would be absent. They seem to have that thought because they speak of the sign of His coming. He confirms that thought and shows there is an interval when they would be exposed to false pretenders — a time of great deception.
Rem His name implies His absence. “Ye will be hated of all the nations for my name’s sake” (verse 9).
CAC Yes, and it will be a time when what is of God will tend to grow cold; the abounding lawlessness will have a chilling effect on what is of God. Then there will be wars and rumours of wars, famines and pestilences and earthquakes, and so on. I suppose the time preceding the end of the age will be the most distressing time there ever was, just the contrary to what men hope for. So men try to do [p. 155] what they can to bring in many things apparently beneficial but they do not arrest deception and political unrest. As long as there are millions of obedient people on the earth there is an immense bulwark in persons indwelt by the Spirit. But when the assembly is gone there will be nothing but the coming of Christ to look for. If there is universal disorder amongst men there is also a universal testimony on God’s part among men.
Rem “Peace and safety, then sudden destruction comes upon them”, 1 Thessalonians 5: 3.
CAC You see after every great outbreak in this world there is a thought in man’s heart to have something different in the future and, I suppose, he will think when the beast and antichrist are fully established in power he has all that he wanted, but it will be for a very short period. You see, when the beast is in the ascendant by Satan’s power, it will seem that a solution is found to the world’s political distresses; and then the antichrist a religious influence which will unify things religiously; and both these things will be secured at the expense of the saints. Anything not conforming to the political and religious unity will be crushed. The very confusion of the world will make men glad of a central power and they will say, “Who is like to the beast? and who can make war with it?”, Revelation 13: 4. There is to be no more war, and they will not realize that God’s long-deferred judgment is about to break with terrific power. Then there will be great persecution of the saints, “Then shall they deliver you up to tribulation, and shall kill you; and ye will be hated of all the nations for my name’s sake” (verse 9). All this kind of thing is what is developing; God, I believe, is holding these things in check, and false doctrine in check, and there is the presence of the assembly, too, so that the prophetic future cannot unfold itself. There is no prophecy addressed to the assembly. There is not one word in Scripture about the present great [p. 156] war — not one word! The assembly belongs to heaven and having her position in heaven is outside the events on earth altogether, so they have it outside what is brought in here.
Rem “All these things ... are the beginning of throes” (verses 6 -8).
CAC It seems to me we are helped by seeing what is coming; all the elements are present, all the forces which will bring about the tribulation are at work in the world, though we shall never be in the tribulation. Man’s idea is for unification — like God’s in one way — for all to share in universal happiness. That is man’s idea; well, that is God’s idea, too. The whole thing is that Satan proposes to have things very successful and prosperous with God shut out and, of course, the departure of man from God is ignored. God is never going to assume the attitude of defeat and in the presence of all this He will maintain a testimony, a suffering and preserved testimony, amongst His people and sealed in their blood, but He will maintain it to the end of the age, so that God will triumph through all. These signs will be for their comfort and they will lift up their heads. The age of the tribulation is the age that we are bringing in, and the testimony will be that that age is going to be ended by the coming of Christ. Well, it will be hateful to man to be told it. We see that this tribulation will centre in Jerusalem and Judaea; that is, “a holy place” of verse 15 suggests that the temple will be rebuilt and those of Judaea flee to the mountains.
Rem There will be a shortening of those days.
CAC Yes, it is very good to see that that is a principle usual with God, and I gather that the prophetic period will not actually run out its period — three and a half years. When God sees the pressure on His saints reaches a very testing point He intervenes. That is a comfort, is it not? And God can turn it to His people’s advantage, even the natural conscience rising up against it. We have not any scripture telling us that God’s witnesses will work miracles in these days. I was thinking that the working of miracles was on the side of what is evil (verse 24). What is of God is accredited by its moral character. People are ready to run after signs and wonders today. What we want is moral evidence.
Rem When the Lord does come it will be quite apparent who He is.
CAC They have built a great place out in Australia ready for the Lord to come; that is the thought of localising the Lord’s coming. It is universal and there is no question of any locality. The root of all darkness and uncertainty as to prophecy is the failure to distinguish between the assembly, which is the body of a risen and ascended and glorified Man just waiting to be taken by His shout to be with Him, and Israel.
Ques To what does the Lord refer in verse 28?
CAC The general thought that where the subject of judgment is, there will the judgment be found. Wherever anything is found out of which the life has gone and only the carcase left, there will the judgment be found. A carcase is a body without life and that character will surely come under judgment; that is the principle that applies generally. What has no life in it is extremely offensive to God. He is the living God; He shows even in creation how He delights in life, He has filled it with life!
Rem He blesses the fifth day.
CAC Yes, so the presence and activity of the Spirit is most essential for it is only the Spirit that can keep things alive.
Rem “The elect” is a word that occurs frequently in this chapter.
CAC In verse 31 it is evidently the gathering together of His elect for the blessing of the kingdom. It is the scattered remnant of Israel that will be gathered consequent [p. 158] on the coming of the Son of Man. The first thing He will do will be to give attention to His elect; He will send His angels to gather them, showing how different it will be from what we expect. The gathering together for us will not then be for earthly blessing but a gathering to the Lord outside the earth altogether; we shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air.
Ques Do these heavenly luminaries refer to princely authorities?
CAC They seem to refer to the powers that will be found in authority.
Rem Things are going to be allowed to reach a terrible pitch just before Christ comes.
CAC Yes, I have no doubt the whole political system, and economic system, and the religious system, and the social system of the world will all collapse. Men are beginning to realise even now how unstable are all the foundations of what they thought was stable and abiding. And it is all coming down; it must come down, because God must have His new order. He has one in reserve and He is going to bring it in. It necessitates the removal of the old order. There will be a development on the side of evil. Men look for a step up; we know, with the Bible in our hands, there will be a great step down. So, I suppose Christ will become the desire of all nations. Men will be so distressed under the rule of the beast and the antichrist that they will turn to some thought of Christ. In verse 34 He uses generation in a moral sense, the kind of people then living would still continue, whether the unbelieving man or the elect remnant.
It will be wonderful when there is found amongst Israel a tenderness Godward and ability to take up the language of the Psalms. I suppose it will take place immediately after the rapture with no interval. Some will have tender thoughts and feel how evil their course has been. They will [p. 159] be assured all their hopes will be realised shortly.
Rem God always has an elect company in faith. I was thinking of Revelation.
CAC So you have two companies of one hundred and forty-four thousand (Revelation 7 and 14); probably a symbolical number. And then, there is a company that no one can number in chapter 7, which is a Gentile company, showing that God will be working among the nations. It will be a wonderful time for darkest Africa, for China, for India and the dark parts of the earth.
The sign in verse 30 is His own coming. It is the cause for lament with some as it was at His first coming. Herod was troubled and all Jerusalem with him. But there were those who could appreciate Him as the wise men did.
Ques “Behold, he comes with the clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they which have pierced him, and all the tribes of the land shall wail because of him”, Revelation 1: 7. Does it not correspond with that?
CAC Yes, indeed.
Ques It is remarkable that it should be the test that the high priest gave the Lord at the judgment seat, and the Lord answered, “ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven”, Matthew 26: 64. To His disciples the Lord said, “times or seasons, which the Father has placed in his own authority”, Acts 1: 7. In Mark it says something more remarkable, “But of that day or of that hour no one knows, ... nor the Son”, Mark 13: 32. Why did He say that?
CAC I suppose it is to bring out the teaching of the gospel that the Lord is seen as the Servant, and as viewed in that character He only knows what He is told. Certain things are reserved to the Father in the economy.
Ques Does what the Lord says about Noah show that only the elect will be able to discern the signs of the times — others not thinking [p. 160] of judgment?
CAC Yet as to the day and hour no one knows, therefore, watchfulness must mark the saints at all times “Watch therefore, for ye know not in what hour your Lord comes”. This principle of watchfulness applies as much to us as to them. The faithful and prudent bondman of verse 45 might be one of the remnant or of the assembly. It is a principle that applies any time before the Lord returns. If the Lord has a household it is to be cared for. So the great matter of concern to Him is that as long as His absence continues His household shall be served and have food. But there is a bondman that turned out an evil bondman. The Lord will have a household here all through the time of His rejection and absence. “Who then is the faithful and prudent bondman whom his lord has set over his household, to give them food in season?”. It is left open so that anyone whose heart prompts him can do it. And it is done in fidelity and prudence; there is a careful discernment of what the household would need. It would come out in our ministry meetings. The great object is edification, and building up is by food. So servants should be exercised to have food in season — for the time.
Ques In Luke 12: 42 it gives “the measure of corn” — the quantity. It is very fine?
CAC Very fine, showing the quantity as well as the quality is important; there is a certain measure. F.E.R. thought that saints were not capable of taking in more than three thoughts on one occasion. So in 1 Corinthians 14 the prophets are limited to three. The principle of what is seasonable and suitable in quantity has to be considered. The Lord attaches great importance to it and great dignity to those who do it. He gives them universal authority, verse 47; one would greatly covet it. Wisdom comes in not to serve out too much. The more spiritual we are the more capacity we should have to take in, but in a practical sense there are limits, and the Lord imposes [p. 161] limits on what is given at any one time. You might have a word and that be enough. After ‘The Calling and Grace of the Remnant’ by J.B.S. at Quemerford a brother said ‘I am sure we cannot receive any more ministry, let us turn to prayer’.
I believe He supports everyone who desires to feed His household. He will be sure to help us; He will go out of His way to help us. So the responsible side comes out very much in this chapter and the next — feeding the household, and going out to meet the Bridegroom and the cities. It is the filling out of responsibilities while the Lord is absent.