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24:1–14 Jesus Speaks of the Destruction of the Temple, of Troubles and Persecutions
Overview: Everyone who receives the Word of God is a temple. Every sin damages the temple, yet complete departure from God destroys it. Moreover, Jesus meant replacement of the material building of the temple with the unsurpassed mystical temple of Scripture, composed of the inspired words and phrases (Origen). Jesus meant the temple to be destroyed after his crucifixion, not in the consummation of the age (Cyril of Alexandria). In accordance with Jesus’ prediction, the Jewish temple stood while Christ and the kingdom of God dwelt among the Jews. When they departed from the Jews to the Gentiles, the temple collapsed (Origen). The temple of Jerusalem was to be destroyed, since the more beautiful and eternal temple, which is every practicing Christian, was being consecrated by the Holy Spirit (Hilary of Poitiers). The olives that were planted on the Mount of Olives are the Christian churches, which are taken care of by the farmer, the Word of God. It is this farmer who grafts branches of a wild tree, the Gentiles, into the good tree of the righteous (Origen). The disciples asked about the end of the world for our benefit so that we would know the signs of the coming end and would expect it eagerly. These signs, however, are to be interpreted not literally and chronologically but spiritually (Incomplete Work on Matthew). Jesus foretold the coming wars to strengthen his disciples (Chrysostom). Interpreted in a moral sense, this passage refers to the spiritual struggle and afflictions of anyone who is about to see the Word of God coming into their soul (Origen). Even the most grievous cooling down of love will not harm the noble and the firm (Chrysostom). The preaching of the gospel in the whole world is almost accomplished, so no one has the excuse of not knowing it (Jerome). Before the end of the world the church will be seduced by diverse heresies (Incomplete Work on Matthew).


24:1 The Buildings of the Temple

You Are a Temple.

Origen: Everyone who receives the Word of God into himself is a temple. Everyone who does not completely fall away from God after sinning but retains some vestiges of faith and devotion to the commandments of God remains a temple, albeit partially destroyed. Whoever fails to take care of his soul after he sins, however, but continues to walk away from the faith and from the life of the gospel is progressively alienated until he has fully departed from the living God. Then he will be a temple in which “there will not be left one stone” of the teaching of the commandments of God “upon another that will not be destroyed.” …
The temple of God was a building composed of distinct words, every Scripture from the Old Testament plainly having been constructed according to the historical sense. By their arrangement of words and phrases, Moses and the prophets built it in such a way that the beauty of the stones, that is, the meaning of their carefully chosen sayings, would command the admiration and praise of everyone. When the disciples of Jesus attempted to direct his attention to the structure of the temple, he responded by saying that this first, merely physical building must be destroyed by the Word so that another, more divine, more mystical temple might be constructed in its place. That other temple is the Scripture, as has already been demonstrated. Commentary on Matthew 30–31.

You See These Buildings.

Cyril of Alexandria: Some were pointing out to Christ the magnificent things in the temple and how it was adorned by the gifts that had been dedicated to God. For they supposed that Jesus would admire with them all there was to see, although being God he has heaven as his throne! He does offer a teaching concerning them, but he had already predicted that according to the times the temple would utterly fall. The Roman army is being gathered for this very thing, demanding the surrender of Israel itself as all Jerusalem suffers the punishment of the slaying of the Lord. For let me tell you, it came to pass that they suffered these things after the crucifixion of the Savior. But they did not understand the meaning of Jesus’ teachings. They supposed his teachings concerned the consummation of the age. Fragment 266.

24:2 One Stone Not Left on Another

The Kingdom Will Be Taken from You.

Origen: After Christ predicted everything that was about to happen to Jerusalem, he who had preserved the temple left it, lest it collapse while he was still in it. The temple stood safe and secure as long as the Word and the kingdom of God were with the Jews, as did all things Jewish. Subsequently, however, the kingdom of God was taken from the Jews and given to the Gentiles, as it is written, “The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to the nations who produce its fruit.” Both Jesus and the kingdom of God were then established among the Gentiles. Therefore neither Jesus nor the kingdom of God is to be found among the Jews, because they were abandoned “like a booth in a vineyard and like a hut in a cucumber field and like a city besieged,” on account of the crime they committed against Christ. Commentary on Matthew 29.

Not One Stone upon Another.

Hilary of Poitiers: The magnificent splendor of the temple’s design was shown to Christ immediately after he had warned of Jerusalem’s desolation, as though to move him. Yet he said that everything had to be destroyed and the scattered stones of its entire foundation demolished, for an eternal temple was being consecrated as a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. This eternal temple is the man who is made worthy of becoming God’s habitation through knowledge of the Son, confession of the Father and obedience to the commandments. On Matthew 25.1.

24:3 What Will Be the Sign of Your Coming?

He Sat on the Mount of Olives.

Origen: I regard the allegory of the Mount of Olives to refer to the churches of the Gentiles, among whom olive trees were planted. Each church is able to say, “I am like a fruitful olive tree in the house of God.” Perhaps also in this Mount of Olives, where the roots of good olive trees live, branches of a wild olive tree were grafted into the good tree in the place of those branches which had been “broken off for their unbelief.” The farmer residing on the Mount of Olives is the Word of God as professed in the church, which is Christ, who continually grafts wild olive branches into the good tree of our father Moses and the other prophets, so that having been strengthened by the holy prophets (whose prophecies they understood to refer to Christ), these new branches might offer more abundant, richer fruit than the first olive branches, which had been cut off and made useless on account of the curse which was in the law. Commentary on Matthew 32.

1 Timothy 3:15 but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

The scriptures were chosen by the church and the scriptures can be rightly interpreted only by Christians
It is not clear whether it includes the holy synod or also orthodox laymen or any other Christian

Jesus said the gates of hades will not prevail against the church . Has only 1 church been able to preserve the truth throughout all generations or has the church only be made necessary to be one since the beginning
to choose the books of the bible and now through every believers input no matter what church you can more easily know the truth

Or does God still work to preserve the truth through one church yet still accept other Christians

It needs more study. You can not say just beceause of this one verse it is enough to convince one that there is only one true church. Atleast not for those who lack faith for whatever reason not to want to trust the church

Though others may teach the truth and confirm the gospel is for all people may not come across it and I be held responsible for judging others

I don’t believe it is my job to convert others but God raises children to Abraham from stones. He can bring them to the church if they must.I am willing to trust in that and hope in my salvation from Jesus alone but I trust in God to guide me if He thinks it is right to the church I will not hide away from letting the church try to convince me I will seek transformation in the church if it can perhaps transform me my thinking and life and to preach it. I should be allowed communion because I still believe though I doubt and my doubt can be right. I should be allowed to have communion to turn from my doubt but if not I may decide I have to do without communion

It does not matter how right we are the bible says if we can’t turn people and have salt we are worthless
We can pray all we want yet things won’t change as Isaiah says though we make many prayers but not doing His of loving others God will hide His face because we have to seek to repent for God to work with us
It may be he accepts them but He will work with us later as His church
I thought going to confession and church would make me have a spiritual life and not stumbling block but I don’t feel by my decision the Holy Spirit has returned to me as much as I desired and other sins are being added

Though we make many prayers we are still responsible for hurting others if we do not attend to their needs as Isaiah says of attending to orphan widow and also rebuking the oppressor that is someone who makes others give up faith in God. We should visit orphans and widows in their trouble to see if we can help them materially and also spiritually if we know we can comfort them and to try to but only those who die in Christ and repentance  have hope but only God may know in what cases they do

You are free to believe only the church may have salvation but you should always desire the truth and to be perfect to keep seeking if you feel convicted even if you do not find by not being diligent enough for full truth. Some people out of good conscience think it is important to be rigid with the tradition but there are those of us who feel it is our duty not to be rigid

Mark 12:33-34 Explains we must know and love God and love our neighbor

Mark 12:33-34
32 So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. 33 And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
34 Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”
But after that no one dared question Him.

I decided to choose my convictions over any one influence even my father.
I am convicted by the church fathers who also taught communion in the Eucharist as well as prayer but not just prayer. Maybe God came to accept others who did not have communion if the church lost its ability to witness but I can not prove that or yet. So I think it is not safe to teach it unless Protestants all be able to prove it. Maybe some can and others can’t. Those who can’t may not be excused not to join the church if they know about the church fathers and can not prove it. But they still may be saved if it is true but they don’t know but they may not be. God may also accept them but we do not know. They may need to convert

When I was young just after high school I found comfort in someone from a website teaching me about Jesus love and his beliefs on the gospel. I guess I was drawn because I was neglectful as a youth to know Jesus. Maybe I did wrong to distrust the church and the churches care for me which I do believe the church cared for me but I was hostile to their correction at other times or they may have slipped some times and I was unforgiving though they still cared for me. That does not mean the church does not care for me but church men can make mistakes and some may not care. But the message was still helpful because it allowed me to know the truth I missed to know in the church to have a relationship in the church

Maybe those like my father who never heard about the church fathers maybe God will convert them some other way

Anyway I believe it may be God’s job to convert others and open their hearts like He did to Lydia
And as it was said the Lord daily added to the church those who were being saved

St Augustine said the truth is like a lion you don’t have to defend it. But I suppose it must still be spoken and you are not following the truth of loving your neighbor if you don’t love those who are not willing to accept it now without your deeds

I feel bad that I was slow to come back like st Moses the black and Mary the Egyptian but I want to come back as I miss confession and to really live repentant. Jesus raised the bar of the law and taught fornication is also to lust after a woman in your heart

We don’t know maybe God will forgive some people who died out of the church and some others alive now and gave them the Holy Spirit but now is calling many to join the church to have the Holy Spirit now or maybe all are called now to join the church

Jesus said the way to life is narrow and few find it. One should maybe join the church if he can not prove it wrong but it may be others are accepted and we may have to keep looking for the gate of truth which few find. But it may be in the church or rather the church which hold the Lords teachings who said He would never change them even though heaven and earth pass away

The Lord said if we did not do to the least of His brethren we do not do to Him
Maybe we are called only to love and God is to convict. Maybe God is not holding our trespasses against us to punish us but will give all the chances one needs to accept Him and return to Him and be alive. Therefore we should not judge any ones life but our job is to serve them and try to win them to God by our love and not put a stumbling block. But I don’t know if it is true but of course I think we should not judge any one in particular and
we should probably put aside all judgement if we have not attended to people. I say this only because of worry to cause people to despair. I do worry some may feel we are not caring to tell them the truth and I worry if any of it is a lie but I don’t know just some musings from what I see online about Matthew 25 and thinking on the parable itself. But sharing this may make people think they have the right to give up on God because people keep doing so
But Jesus said woe to the world because of offenses but that they must still come but woe through whom they come
We must not assume others need to repent and we do not and we are more righteous

We must worship in Spirit and truth

21 Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain, nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. 22 You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”
25 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When He comes, He will tell us all things.”
26 Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

Baptism like circumcision is indeed profitable if we keep the commandments of God
Paul said Abraham was saved before circumcision but because he had true faith he obeyed and got circumcised.
Protestants also get baptised. It may be required for all or it may not for those who repent later or who don’t know they need to or it is too late to be baptised or there is no one that does not know he needs to be baptised so he must repent of it I do not know
Jesus is saying all are in need to learn from Him how to worship in Spirit and truth. This means we are open to learning from Jesus even if we are not convinced yet others are saved. He would prefer us all to be united but in truth and through the Spirit when the Spirit wishes or we are ready for the Spirit to fully unite us and give us truth. If God ordained the sacraments like communion He may not require all to have communion now to eat His flesh and drink His blood but He allows some to eat His flesh and drink His blood spiritually if they deserve excuse if they can't find the truth or God excuses them not to find it. Those who are orthodox should remain orthodox unless they don't feel like they are witnessing to christ well in it and perhaps they should stay anyway if they are strong that may be true but that is not my choice they could convert to something else like me if they doubt they can witness but if after converting it seems bad staying you should convert back or if it seems good to all for you to go back to the orthodox church you can go back.

Jeremiah 23:1-2
The Branch of Righteousness
1 “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of My pasture!” says the Lord. 2 Therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel against the shepherds who feed My people: “You have scattered My flock, driven them away, and not attended to them. Behold, I will attend to you for the evil of your doings,” says the Lord.

There are evil teachers and good teachers. I obviously am an evil teacher. I drive people away by being partial in my judgement and self righteous. When the bible says there is none righteous. It is hard to believe but none of us go to heaven by good deeds eternal life is a gift that one must receive as a little child. That is you trust God will save you and guide you and make you alive and do His will naturally.
Everyone who is faithful on little shall be ruler on much. The Lord gives the same reward to those of the eleventh hour as those in the first hour which is the kingdom and also they could be first because it is not too late for sinners alive to even bear fruit 100 fold since Jesus said there are last who will be first and First Last but one should be happy just to go to heaven but everyone must bear some fruit atleast the smallest amount as Paul says when you obeyed the gospel you had fruit to holiness and the end eternal life.   The person who commits suicide may not be saved but God will judge them if they truly deserve excuse we could err in judging anyone fate it is up to God the number He will excuse could be very few and they must deserve it but what I am saying is they may never have been alive or who had true faith which is evident by works when they were alive or when they die. The bible says if a righteous person turns away from righteousness none of his former deeds will be remembered but he will die for that
Jesus judges the churches in revelations saying they must go back to old works. The person is not saved unless he is alive when the Lord comes even at death so the thief which is death does not take the unready. So Paul says you are all sons of the day and not in darkness that that day should come as a thief

Eternal life is a free gift through faith not of works lest any should boast but there are rewards in heaven but the person must still repent and have the gospel and beware sinning and not being watchful like foolish virgins and die being unaware without the true faith. So you have eternal life if you truly believe Jesus in Jesus which would lead to some works even the minimum allowed to go to heaven. But the oil and faith and trust in Jesus for salvation can run out if you are not strengthening the things which remain and your faith becomes dead. Paul said we must give careful heed to the things we have heard lest we drift away
St. John said he who has the Son has life already and then says to continue to believe in the Son of God. One must always worry he doesn’t have the faith and trust as proven by works

St Paul says eternal life is given to those by patient continuance in doing good. That is why I said good deeds may earn rewards which is life as Jesus also said lay up treasure in heaven. But it may mean by patient continuance in doing good to be patient until you fully believe the gospel that you may bear 30 fold or any fruit to holiness and everlasting life. That is why Jesus said labor for the food which endures to everlasting life and explains the work of God is to believe on Him whom He sent. How can Christ say he who believes in Me passes from death to life therefore it seems to mean believe that He will make all those who believe in Him remember His commandments to do them. But the wise worried they have no oil that is they examined themselves if they are in the faith if they are not produced fruit so they kept going to the word of God to make sure their faith is real. Since why would jesus say he who believes in Me passes from death to life and yet whoever hears these sayings of Mine and does not do them will be like the foolish man who built his house on the sand ? He explains it by saying I never knew you because if you believe in Him you would do His commandments and believe His commandments and know them and all His teaching because God may not give true faith to those who don’t seek to accept His will as He said he who wills to do His will will know concerning My doctrine whether it is from God.

Therefore you would not stay questioning His eternal judgements and that He is the only way to heaven and whatever He teaches you will understand and do for jesus said the Holy Spirit will guide us in all truth which we have by believing. If you don’t really agree with the true meaning of His teachings ir means you don’t truly believe in Jesus for He will show everything to you and the Holy Spirit will guide you in all truth

So St James says faith without works is dead. That is you may have lost it like the oil that is dead in the foolish virgins lamp. It makes sense why would anyone work unless one truly believes

I have a pamphlet from the Catholic Church that explains that the devil can often appear in the form of our Lord or our lady.

I think that explains my dream when I was young where Jesus said to me do not be afraid. If I was a good child it seems it would be bad to give me a false vision but I think I was a bad child. Even if the Lord appeared to me it does not mean we are living in the end of days. We might be but might not. It may mean just that don’t be afraid I don’t mean to end the world now but I want you to be a faithful witness. Because some people may take advantage of my dream to try to make the end happen. Unfortunately they only hurt their own soul.
It really may be or not. Some may hate my pride to believe God gave me a dream so they want to mock the dream by being evil and saying what became of revealing your dream except more evil.
Anyway God may allow one to dream what is in his heart and what he wants but it is not from God.
We must not think the end of the world is here so we think we can’t make a difference in the world it seems an excuse and one that the one who buried his talent used as an excuse saying he could not
I mean we should not use as an excuse the verse from Amos therefore the prudent keep silent in that time for it is an evil time. Yes sometimes silence helps in evil times but we can not assume it is especially an evil time now as though we know it is the end of the world that normally we would be able to do some good works  that we can not now.
The ones who should not speak are the fools but there should be wise people prayed for which God can prepare for Him. The labourers of His harvest
If we want to change the world it begins with ourselves. Let Christians pray for one another and support one another to be holy as it is said in 2 Chronicles 7:14 If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
When Jesus said he who is least in the kingdom is greater than John the Baptist he perhaps did not mean all would be like him as God in the past also did not expect all to do the job of prophets but that their influence would be like Johns. Elijah also was a man with a nature like ours meaning we can be effective like him but we don’t have his job. We need not go to preach to others who are not ready to hear but we should not compromise the gospel because we are afraid. We trust in God for protection by rightly teaching our flock how to prepare themselves. Those who are not ready for persecution even Jesus explains they should flee to another city as even Jesus did from Herod and He explains that we should flee to the mountains when the antichrist who is described as a desolater that is persecuter is there and there are other persecuters here. Perhaps Jesus explains there will be those who try to comfort with false dreams saying Jesus told them not to be afraid Jesus like He told the disciples in the upper room. Of course it is okay to receive encouragement but we need to teach good to prepare others

The Great Tribulation
(Mark 13:14–23; Luke 17:23, 24, 37; 21:20–24)
15 “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), 16 “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. 17 Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. 18 And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath. 21 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.
23 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand.
26 “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together