The Appointed Time Has Come

What is the Appointed Time? Where in Scriptures would we discover the chain of events related to the Appointed Time? Why is it necessary to look at the three accounts from Luke, Mark and Matthew respecting the destruction of Jerusalem and the coming of Christ?

Each Bible writer has a different perspective about this time period. They even speak about these things a little differently, so we will need to read all three accounts to extrapolate the most amount of information. The first thing we identify is the context, it has to do with and concerning the physical temple and true worship. Next, it concerns the time and the signs of the chain of events to follow. First let’s review Luke chapter 21.

Luke 21:5-36… Later, as certain ones were speaking concerning the temple, how it was adorned with fine stones and dedicated things, ⁶ he said: “As for these things that YOU are beholding, the days will come in which not a stone upon a stone will be left here and not be thrown down.” ⁷ Then they questioned him, saying: “Teacher, when will these things actually be, and what will be the sign when these things are destined to occur?” (Strong’s #G1096 ginomi = emerging, transitioning from one realm to another. Compare with Matthew 24:3) ⁸ He said: “Look out that YOU are not misled; for many will come on the basis of my name, saying, ‘I am he…

Let’s review the following cross-references in the Scriptures to see this point about not being misled. Jesus told his disciples that the helper the Holy Spirit of truth would come and teach them the things they needed to know. But that’s not all, the apostle Paul identified that there would be spirits pretending to be from God and would misdirect and mislead mankind so, that there would become false prophets in and among Gods people.

John 14:26– But the helper, the holy spirit, which the Father will send in my name, that one will teach YOU all things and bring back to YOUR minds all the things I told YOU.

1 John 4:1– From Greek in Interlinear bible: Beloved ones not every spirit, be YOU believing, but be YOU proving the spirits if out of the God, it is, because many false prophets have gone forth into the world.

How could you and I keep from becoming a victim of falsehood? We need to know our Bible inside and out. Any word we receive from the spirit needs to be verified. Does it testify to the fact that Jesus Christ came in the flesh? Any teaching that does not align with this fact of Scripture is not from God. Any man teaching doctrine that does not align with this fact is not from the true God.

Matthew 7:15-20– “Be on the watch for the false prophets that come to YOU in sheep’s covering, but inside they are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶ By their fruits YOU will recognize them. Never do people gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles, do they? ¹⁷ Likewise every good tree produces fine fruit, but every rotten tree produces worthless fruit; ¹⁸ a good tree cannot bear worthless fruit, neither can a rotten tree produce fine fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree not producing fine fruit gets cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Really, then, by their fruits YOU will recognize those [men].

2 Peter 2:1-3– However there also came to be false prophets among the people, as there will also be false teachers among YOU. These very ones will quietly bring in destructive sects and will disown even the owner that bought them (Jesus), bringing speedy destruction upon themselves. ² Furthermore, many will follow their acts of loose conduct, and on account of these the way of the truth will be spoken of abusively. ³ Also, with covetousness they will exploit YOU with counterfeit words. But as for them, the judgment from of old is not moving slowly, and the destruction of them is not slumbering.

How can we identify those who are false teachers? Again, Jesus identified if we paid attention, we could see the fruitage of what a person is all about. The apostle Peter said that they would disown their owner Jesus Christ. What message would these false prophets give to miss lead mankind? Would it not be about the timing of his coming?

Luke 21:8-36… and, ‘The due time has approached. (The season has drawn near, or The Appointed time has approached / See the Greek in Interlinear bible) Do not go after them. (1 John 4:1) ⁹ Furthermore, when YOU hear of wars and disorders, (Strong’s Concordance #G181 Akatastasia = can be rendered as Revolution, first is the Political aspect then in a Moral aspect) do not be terrified. For these things must occur first, but the end does not [occur] immediately.”

Luke 21:10-36… Then he went on to say to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

Nation against nation refers to non-Israelite people fighting against one another, but this kingdom against kingdom is referring to a fight in the realm above, and it all about God’s Sovereignty and who will rule the earth. This has a profound effect on the world we live in.

Revelation 12:7-9… And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels battled with the dragon, and the dragon and its angels battled but it did not prevail, neither was a place found for them any longer in heaven. So down the great dragon was hurled, the original serpent, the one called Devil and Satan, who is misleading the entire inhabited earth; he was hurled down to the earth, and his angels were hurled down with him.

Luke 21:11-36… and there will be great earthquakes, (Strong’s Concordance #G4578 seismos: commotion, and shaking) and in one place after another pestilences and food shortages; and there will be fearful sights (Strong’s Concordance #G5400 phobetron= A terrible site that causes fear so much so the people try to withdraw from it. ) and from heaven (#G3772 ouranos = visible atmosphere) great signs. (Strong concordance #G4592 semeion: a mark of identification to emphasize and authenticate.)

But Before These Things

Luke 21:12-36… “But before all these things people will lay their hands upon YOU and persecute YOU, delivering YOU up to the synagogues and prisons, YOU are being hailed before kings and governors for the sake of my name. ¹³ It will turn out to YOU for a witness. (Strong’s Concordance #G3142 marturion: Testimony) ¹⁴ Therefore settle it in YOUR hearts not to rehearse beforehand how to make YOUR defense, ¹⁵ for I will give YOU a mouth (Strong’s Concordance #G4750 stoma: elegant speech that cuts like a sword.) and wisdom, (Strong’s Concordance #G4678 sophia: insight with a skill of divine intelligence,) which all YOUR opposers together will not be able to resist or dispute.

Luke 21:16-36… Moreover, YOU will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and they will put some of YOU to death; ¹⁷ and YOU will be objects of hatred by all people because of my name. ¹⁸ And yet not a hair of YOUR heads will by any means perish. ¹⁹ By endurance on YOUR part YOU will acquire YOUR souls. ²⁰ “Furthermore, when YOU see Jerusalem surrounded by encamped armies, then know that the desolating of her has drawn near.

Luke 19:41-44– And when he got nearby, he viewed the city and wept over it, 42 saying: “If you, even you, had discerned in this day the things having to do with peace—but now they have been hid from your eyes. 43 Because the days will come upon you when your enemies will build around you a fortification with pointed stakes and will encircle you and distress you from every side, 44 and they will dash you and your children within you to the ground, and they will not leave a stone upon a stone in you, because you did not discern the time of your being inspected.”

Matthew 24:15– “Therefore, when YOU catch sight of the disgusting thing that causes desolation, as spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in a holy place, (let the reader use discernment,)

Luke 21:21-36 … Then let those in Judea begin fleeing to the mountains, and let those in the midst of her withdraw, and let those in the country places not enter into her; ²² because these are days for meting out justice, that all the things written may be fulfilled...

What were the things that were written afore time and when are they going to be fulfilled? What Scriptures was Jesus referring to? We will only need to review three Scriptures to answer those questions.

Hosea 9:7- The days of being given attention must come; the days of the due payment must come (Judgement). Those of Israel will know [it]. The prophet will be foolish, the man of inspired expression will be maddened on account of the abundance of your error, even animosity being abundant. (because the anger of God has become known)

Isaiah 13:1-13- The pronouncement against Babylon (Strong’s Concordance #G894 “Babel” meaning confusion. This godly pronouncement is against not a Location but a Condition) that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw in vision: 2 “Upon a mountain of bare rocks raise up a signal, YOU men. Lift up the voice to them, wave the hand, that they may come into the entrances of the nobles. 3 I myself have issued the command to my sanctified ones. I have also called my mighty ones for [expressing] my anger, my eminently exultant ones. 4 Listen! A crowd in the mountains, something like a numerous people! Listen! The uproar of kingdoms, of nations gathered together! Jehovah of armies is mustering the army of war. 5 They are coming from the land far away, from the extremity of the heavens, Jehovah and the weapons of his denunciation, to wreck all the earth. 6 “Howl, YOU people, for the day of Jehovah is near! As a despoiling from the Almighty it will come. 7 That is why all hands themselves will drop down, and the whole heart itself of mortal man will melt. 8 And people have become disturbed. Convulsions and birth pains themselves grab hold; like a woman that is giving birth they have labor pains. They look at each other in amazement. Their faces are inflamed faces. 9 “Look! The day of Jehovah itself is coming, cruel both with fury and with burning anger, in order to make the land an object of astonishment, and that it may annihilate [the land’s] sinners out of it. 10 For the very stars of the heavens and their constellations of Kesil will not flash forth their light; the sun will actually grow dark at its going forth, and the moon itself will not cause its light to shine. 11 And I shall certainly bring home [its own] badness upon the productive land, and their own error upon the wicked themselves. And I shall actually cause the pride of the presumptuous ones to cease, and the haughtiness of the tyrants I shall abase. 12 I shall make mortal man rarer than refined gold, and earthling man [rarer] than the gold of Ophir. 13 That is why I shall cause heaven itself to become agitated, and the earth will rock out of its place at the fury of Jehovah of armies and at the day of his burning anger...

God’s righteous justice is coming not against the location of Babylon but against the condition of confusion “Babel”. His burning anger is going to be expressed against people claiming to be God’s people, as sinners they are going to be removed from off the land / earth. What sin is God contributing or counting against these people?

Zephaniah 1:4-18- “And I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and I will cut off from this place the remaining ones of the Baal, the name of the foreign-god priests along with the priests, 5 and those who are bowing down upon the roofs to the army of the heavens, and those who are bowing down, making sworn oaths to Jehovah and making sworn oaths by Malcom; 6 and those who are drawing back from following Jehovah and who have not sought Jehovah and have not inquired of him.” 7 Keep silence before the Sovereign Lord Jehovah; for the day of Jehovah is near, for Jehovah has prepared a sacrifice; he has sanctified his invited ones. 8 “And it must occur on the day of Jehovah’s sacrifice that I will give attention to the princes, and to the sons of the king, and to all those wearing foreign attire. 9 And I will give attention to everyone that is climbing upon the platform in that day, those who are filling the house of their masters with violence and deception. 10 And there must occur on that day,” is the utterance of Jehovah, “the sound of an outcry from the Fish Gate, and a howling from the second quarter, and a great crashing from the hills. 11 Howl, YOU inhabitants of Maktesh, for all the people who are tradesmen have been silenced; all those weighing out silver have been cut off. 12 “And it must occur at that time that I shall carefully search Jerusalem with lamps, and I will give attention to the men who are congealing upon their dregs [and] who are saying in their heart, ‘Jehovah will not do good, and he will not do bad.’ 13 And their wealth must come to be for pillage and their houses for a desolate waste. And they will build houses, but they will not have occupancy; and they will plant vineyards, but they will not drink the wine of them. 14 “The great day of Jehovah is near. It is near, and there is a hurrying [of it] very much. The sound of the day of Jehovah is bitter. There a mighty man is letting out a cry. 15 That day is a day of fury, a day of distress and of anguish, a day of storm and of desolation, a day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick gloom, 16 a day of horn and of alarm signal, against the fortified cities and against the high corner towers. 17 And I will cause distress to mankind, and they will certainly walk like blind men; because it is against Jehovah that they have sinned. And their blood will actually be poured out like dust, and their bowels like the dung. 18 Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to deliver them in the day of Jehovah’s fury; but by the fire of his zeal the whole earth will be devoured, because he will make an extermination, indeed a terrible one, of all the inhabitants of the earth.”

What crimes against God were these sinners charged with? They were found guilty of worshiping a false God who is referred to as Bal, Malcom, or AKA Satan. True worship had been polluted and overtaken by these false gods.

Jesus words did come true; because he was aware of what was prophesied, he knew about the coming judgment against Jerusalem and the Temple. And it was destroyed by God. But is Jerusalem and the Temple going to be rebuilt before God brings about his final judgment? Any man-made Temple built before God’s final judgment will be polluted with false worship. That’s just a fact, the wicked one will always try to over-run any organized and established true worship of God.

Luke 21:23-36 … Woe to the pregnant women and the ones suckling a baby in those days! For there will be great necessity upon the land and wrath on this people; ²⁴ and they will fall by the edge of the sword and be led captive into all the nations; and Jerusalem will be trampled on by the nations, until the Appointed Times of the nations are fulfilled…

Revelation 11:18- But the nations became wrathful, and your own wrath came, and the Appointed Time for the dead to be judged, and to give [their] reward to your slaves the prophets and to the holy ones and to those fearing your name, the small and the great, and to bring to ruin those ruining the earth.”

Psalm 2:1-6- Why have the nations been in tumult? And the national groups themselves kept muttering an empty thing? 2 The kings of earth take their stand And high officials themselves have massed together as one Against Jehovah and against his anointed one, 3 [Saying:] “Let us tear their bands apart And cast their cords away from us!” 4 The very One sitting in the heavens will laugh; Jehovah himself will hold them in derision. 5 At that time he will speak to them in his anger. And in his hot displeasure he will disturb them, 6 [Saying:] “I, even I, have installed my king Upon Zion, my holy mountain.”

During the Appointed Time If mankind tries to establish another kingdom by setting someone on the throne of David this also will add to God’s anger. If they try to reestablish the temple with the animal sacrifices this will also anger God. God will be forced to display his power just as soon as they think they have peace; God’s Day of judgment is coming just like a thief and who can stop it?

Signs in Sun and Moon and Stars

Luke 21:25-36 … “Also, there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth anguish of nations, not knowing the way out because of the roaring of the sea and [its] agitation, ²⁶ while men become faint out of fear and expectation of the things coming upon the inhabited earth; for the powers of the heavens will be shaken…

For more info about the Signs click on the hyper link: Signs of the Sun and Moon

Joel 2:1-2- “Blow a horn in Zion, O men, and shout a war cry in my holy mountain. Let all the inhabitants of the land get agitated; for the day of Jehovah is coming, for it is near! 2 It is a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick gloom, like light of dawn spread out upon the mountains. “There is a people numerous and mighty; one like it has not been made to exist from the indefinite past, and after it there will be none again to the years of generation after generation.

2 Peter 3:10-13- Yet Jehovah’s day will come as a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a hissing noise, but the elements being intensely hot will be dissolved, and earth and the works in it will be discovered. 11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of persons ought YOU to be in holy acts of conduct and deeds of godly devotion, 12 awaiting and keeping close in mind the presence of the day of Jehovah, through which the heavens being on fire will be dissolved and [the] elements being intensely hot will melt! 13 But there are new heavens and a new earth that we are awaiting according to his promise, and in these righteousness is to dwell.

The words the apostle Peter spoke here are very encouraging to us and we are reminded of our conduct as we wait for our deliverance, and the harsh judgment of all others. Now let’s review this deliverance that we are to receive.

Deliverance

Luke 21:27-36 … And then they will see the son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸ But as these things start to occur, raise yourselves erect and lift YOUR heads up, because YOUR deliverance is getting near...

Hebrews 9:11-12- However, when Christ came as a high priest of the good things that have come to pass, through the greater and more perfect tent not made with hands, that is, not of this creation, 12 he entered, no, not with the blood of goats and of young bulls, but with his own blood, once for all time into the holy place and obtained an everlasting deliverance.

Luke 21:29-36 … With that he spoke an illustration to them: “Note the fig tree and all the other trees: ³⁰ When they are already in the bud, by observing it YOU know for yourselves that now the summer is near. ³¹ In this way YOU also, when YOU see these things occurring, know that the kingdom of God is near…

God’s kingdom in the hands of his son Christ Jesus will bring about justice and righteousness that will last forever and ever.

Isaiah 9:4-7- For the yoke of their load and the rod upon their shoulders, the staff of the one driving them to work, you have shattered to pieces as in the day of Midian. 5 For every boot of the one tramping with tremors and the mantle rolled in blood have even come to be for burning as food for fire. 6 For there has been a child born to us, there has been a son given to us; and the princely rule will come to be upon his shoulder. And his name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. 7 To the abundance of the princely rule and to peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom in order to establish it firmly and to sustain it by means of justice and by means of righteousness, from now on and to time indefinite. The very zeal of Jehovah of armies will do this.

Luke 21:32-36 … Truly I say to YOU, this generation will by no means pass away until all things occur. ³³ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will by no means pass away. ³⁴ “But pay attention to yourselves (Isaiah 32:3-7) that YOUR hearts never become weighed down with overeating and heavy drinking and anxieties of life, and suddenly that day be instantly upon YOU ³⁵ as a snare. For it will come in upon all those dwelling upon the face of all the earth.

Now for the summary of Luke chapter 21 as told to us by our Lord Jesus:

Luke 21:36… Keep awake, then, all the time (“During all the Appointed Time”) making supplication that YOU may succeed (“might be strong”) in escaping (“Flee out of”) all these things that are destined to occur, and in standing before the son of man.”

Who will put up with this appointed day, and who will stand before our Lord Jesus when he comes?

Malachi 3:2- “But who will be putting up with the day of his coming, and who will be the one standing when he appears? For he will be like the fire of a refiner and like the lye of laundrymen.

Revelation 6:16-17 And they keep saying to the mountains and to the rock-masses: “Fall over us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17 because the great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”

We will have to endure the Appointed Time and become refined. If not, we may have the wrong attitude trying to hide from this day refusing to be refined by it, hiding as it were from any discipline that will be administered. Lord help us.

The next chapter: The Sacred Secret Revealed

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