The generation that saw the reemergence of national Israel on May 14, 1948 definitely knows several prophetically important things because Christ, in the Olivet Discourse, SWORE they were true and were relevant to this generation…and THIS GENERATION ONLY. Therefore, the fig tree parable, at the heart of Jesus’ Olivet Discourse, remains this generation’s touchstone of prophetic understanding. Along with the book of Revelation, it is the interpretive template that gives proper understanding and proper place on a timeline to all Old Testament, end-times prophecy. [Mat 24:32-42 NASB] 32 "Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; 33 so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, [right] at the door. 34 "Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. 36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. 37 "For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. 38 "For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 "Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 "Two women [will be] grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left. 42 "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. Ignore this amazing heads-up from Christ to the peril of the last days’ insight that “alert” (vs 42) fig tree generation believers were meant to possess. We are to know for certain that: - Christ could not have returned at the rapture before national Israel was reborn. The still unknown (but now speculable to the year and perhaps more) “day and the hour” of His return has always been organically bound to the unknown “day and the hour” (before May 14, 1948) of the reemergence of fig tree national Israel. The rebirth of national Israel and the rapture are generationally inseparable events because without the first, Christ would have no nation (Israel), city (Jerusalem), or people (the Jews, of whom He is still their King) to which He may return. - Christ will return within seventy-eighty years of national Israel’s rebirth. Only people can be the measure of a “genea”, the Greek word for “generation” and the Bible tells us that peoples’ lifespans have now declined to “seventy-eighty years” (Psalm 90:10). - The false “no one knows” dogma of many in the Church regarding the generation of the rapture and the immediately-following seven-year Tribulation period, is negated by the context of the verse they are quoting (36). Christ is saying that these willfully know-nothing, non “alert” (verse 42) people are joining the rest of the spiritually dull who have everything in common with Noah’s generation of practiced scoffers. By refusing to connect the meaning of the May 14, 1948 reemergence of national Israel to His being “at the door” of coming for the Church at the rapture (verses 37-41), an event that will initiate the seven-year Tribulation period that will “end the age” (Matthew 24:3), they really are missing everything. They might as well be asleep (Matthew 25:1-13). This attitude dishonors Christ and His prophetic word. BACK TO THE DANIEL 12 DRAWING BOARD Again, to understand Jesus’ and the apostles New Testament prophecies, one must be thoroughly familiar with the Old Testament prophecies that they are referencing and clarifying. Jesus went out of His way to single out Daniel for particular attention in the Olivet Discourse: [Mat 24:14-16 NASB95] 14 "This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations, and then the end will come. 15 "Therefore when you see the ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION which was spoken of through DANIEL THE PROPHET, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains. Only those who fully understand the information the prophet Daniel was relating regarding the timing of the Beast’s “abomination of desolation” will know exactly when and where to flee Jerusalem…TO THE DAY. Observe: [Dan 11:36, 45 NASB] 36 "Then the king will do as he pleases, and he will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will speak monstrous things against the God of gods; and he will prosper until the indignation is finished, for that which is decreed will be done. ... 45 "He will pitch the tents of his royal pavilion between the seas and the beautiful Holy Mountain; yet he will come to his end, and no one will help him….[Dan 12:1, 11-13 NASB] 1 "Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands [guard] over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued. ... 11 "From (HEBREW “‘ETH” …ALWAYS OTHERWISE TRANSLATED “AT” IN THE OLD TESTAMENT) the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, [there will be] … (ADDED BY THE TRANSLATORS) …1,290 days. 12 "How blessed is he who keeps waiting and attains to the 1,335 days! 13 "But as for you, go [your way] to the end; then you will enter into rest and rise [again] for your allotted portion at the end of the age." Daniel 12 is clearly in a mid-Tribulation, immediately post abomination-of-desolation context (Daniel 11:45) as Christ Himself declared. Again, He went out of His way to emphasize that we should take pains to “understand” it that way (Matthew 24:15) as we followed His command to read Daniel 12 for more insight. The Jews of Judea were to know that AT (not “from” as has been mistakenly translated) day 1,290 (“there will be” having wrongly been added by the translators to agree with the mistaken “from”) there would occur said “abomination of desolation”. They could take that to the bank as a warning. If they wanted to live, they needed to beat it for the “mountains” of Jordan (Matthew 24:16). The now-trapped Jews of Jerusalem would not have that opportunity. Christ gave no gauzy reassurance to the now-doomed Jews who would already have been destroyed by Jerusalem’s surrounding forces of the Antichrist had not “Michael, the great prince” of the angels “arisen”. He gave them hard and fast numbers (yes, Christ is a “date-setter”) by which the distressed Jews of Jerusalem could circle their calendars. He will reprise Exodus in a pillar of fire and cloud on the temple mount (Isaiah 4) to hold off the Beast’s genocide-bent forces from day 1,290 (the day of the abomination of desolation and the Antichrist’s assassination) until the day of the physical return of Christ, accompanied by the angel-deposited 144,000 global evangelists-now-turned-commandoes, to the Mount of Olives and the temple mount (Zechariah 12-14; Matthew 24:25-31; Revelation 11-14). BACK TO THE FEASTS When Christ was talking to the Jews in somewhat cryptic language (as He was in the fig tree parable and other parables) He was challenging them to see that He was fulfilling “all of which the Law and the prophets spoke”. Pointing to Christ is, after all, the purpose of all Scripture, including as it relates to the various Jewish feasts. I therefore believe His fulfillment of specific feasts must certainly have everything to do with the numbers of Daniel 12. These numbers are surely not presented to us in some kind of vacuum. They are certainly meant to relate to at least two prophetic Jewish feasts. During His earthly ministry, Jesus was pointedly recorded to have participated in only two feasts: Hanukkah and Passover (John 10; 13). There is however, a feast in which Christ participated big time that is attached, almost as an afterthought, to Passover week. It is called the Day of First Fruits (Resurrection Sunday). It was on that day that Christ, along with dead first century believers in Christ were raptured after appearing to many shocked Jerusalem Jews (Matthew 27:50-53). In this way, Christ, and later the Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 15:20-58) makes much of the Feast of First Fruits as likely related to the mysterious rapture event. Then there is Hanukkah, a supposedly “minor” Jewish feast as well. Jesus pointedly strode the temple mount for that eight-day feast in demonstration of His determination to one day lead those who were truly “My sheep” to victory over a future Antichrist and his local armies (John 10:22-42) just as He lead the Maccabee commandoes. This is certainly the feast, anticipating the violent, mid-Tribulation return of Christ, that Daniel’s “blessed” day 1,335 refers to. Of course, Bible translators, committed to the “Christ returns only on the last day of the seven-year Tribulation period to Armageddon” cannot and will not see Christ’s abundantly promised, Mount of Olives-splitting, mid-Tribulation return to Jerusalem and so they add and subtract words to fit the “Armageddon-only” interpretive template. However, Christ is clearly portrayed on the Revelation timeline as returning NOT ONCE BUT THREE TIMES: - At Gog/Magog (the sixth seal), over the Golan Heights (Revelation 6:15-17) - At His Mount of Olives-splitting physical return to Jerusalem (Revelation 11:15-14:20…the seventh trumpet) - At the Valley of Armageddon comparative non-event, His robes dripping with the blood of His Valley of Jehoshaphat prolonged military campaign (Revelation 19:11-19) THE YEARS 2023 AND 2024 Think about it. What are the odds of these two conspicuously-celebrated-by-Christ feasts being EXACTLY 1,335 DAYS APART (3 years, 7 months, 26 days), seventy years after the reemergence of national Israel? What, therefore, are the odds that they would contain no prophetic significance for this generation? There are no other two sets of feasts that I have found that line up that way. Believe me, I have pulled my calculator out many times to try to fault this whole idea. Yes, the 2019-2022 and 2020-2023 Passover week/Hanukkah cycle fit the 1,335-day template and yes, to the dismay of myself and others, the rapture did not occur Easter 2019 or 2020. And if we had been hopeful for 2021 and 2022, well, Passover/Day of First Fruits 2021 and 2022 do not book-end at 1,335 days with their respective Hanukkahs in 2024/2025. They miss the mark at 1,362 and 1,337 days respectively. BUT LOOK OUT. This 1,335-day template lines up perfectly, to the day, with the Day of First Fruits/Resurrection Day on April 19, 2023 and April 28, 2024. THOSE ARE THEREFORE, TO MY PROPHECY-STUDYING MIND, AUSPICIOUS DAYS FOR THE RAPTURE. Am I predicting that the rapture will definitely occur on those days? No, of course not. I am not a prophet proclaiming, “Thus says the Lord” as some have suggested. In fact, I believe the office of prophet passed away after the first century apostolic era. Like everybody else who loves Jesus and His return, I am just a student of prophecy. I am simply a prophecy nut who is not content with essentially rehashing Hal Lindsey’s 1969 book, fifty years later, for fun and profit. I cannot even conclusively say that the rapture and Daniel’s day 1,335 are associated with the feasts of First Fruits and Hanukkah respectively. As always, I am simply obeying my Lord in being alert, by studying, and “going back and forth” (Daniel 12:4) between Old Testament prophecies and types and Christ and the apostles’ New Testament interpretive templates, seeking to gain the same insight for which Daniel so longed (Daniel 12:7-9).

The fig tree parable proves that this is the generation of the return of Christ. The reemergence of national Israel is organically tied to the rapture and the coming of Messiah. No reemerged nation, no return. Period. Many in the prophecy community also seem unaware of the fact that Jesus’ “green tree” parable (issued as among His last words as He carried His cross to Calvary) was referencing the fig tree parable’s same root prophecy in Ezekiel 17. That parable also proves that we are in the last generation. I have never heard Jesus’ “green tree” parable addressed prophetically in a pulpit or anywhere else. In light of the ongoing scoffing we hear regarding the true imminence of the rapture…mockery that comes despite this being the seventy-fourth year since May 14, 1948…it is incumbent upon those of us longing for the return of Christ to remind ourselves of our rock-solid Scriptural footing. This is indeed the generation of His second coming. Observe: [Luk 23:26-32 NASB] 26 When they led Him away, they seized a man, Simon of Cyrene, coming in from the country, and placed on him the cross to carry behind Jesus. 27 And following Him was a large crowd of the people, and of women who were mourning and lamenting Him. 28 But Jesus turning to them said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, stop weeping for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 "For behold, the days are coming when they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, and the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.' 30 "Then they will begin to say to the mountains, 'fall on us,' and to the hills, 'cover us.' 31 "FOR IF THEY DO THESE THINGS WHEN THE TREE IS GREEN, WHAT WILL HAPPEN WHEN IT IS DRY?" 32 Two others also, who were criminals, were being led away to be put to death with Him. When Jesus encountered the weeping “daughters of Jerusalem” on His way to Calvary, He felt compelled to quote from the “tree” parable of the prophet Ezekiel as among His last words: [Eze 17:22-24 NASB] 22 Thus says the Lord GOD, "I will also take [a sprig] from the lofty top of the cedar and set [it] out; I will pluck from the topmost of its young twigs a tender one and I will plant [it] on a high and lofty mountain. 23 "On the high mountain of Israel I will plant it, that it may bring forth boughs and bear fruit and become a stately cedar. And birds of every kind will nest under it; they will nest in the shade of its branches. 24 "ALL THE TREES OF THE FIELD WILL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD; I BRING DOWN THE HIGH TREE, EXALT THE LOW TREE, DRY UP THE GREEN TREE AND MAKE THE DRY TREE FLOURISH. I AM THE LORD; I HAVE SPOKEN, AND I WILL PERFORM [IT.]" Ezekiel’s parable is the history of the Davidic kingdom in three verses. From the “lofty top” of the Israel-representing “cedar”, God “plucked’ and “planted” her first king, David. He established his kingdom, with Jerusalem the royal capital. In the heart of that city arose Israel’s spiritual center: the “high and lofty” Mount Zion temple. David, his heirs and his kingdom were meant to be channels of God’s mercy and blessing to a fallen, gentile world such that the peoples would find redemption and a truly fruitful existence in an otherwise sin-harshened existence. WHEN THE TREES WAKE UP The “trees of the field” are obviously the nations of the world. “They will know” that I (Jesus, the Son of David) am the Lord…will see My will and My ways…when they observe the history and future of national Israel. As a demonstration of His sovereignty over an apostate people, Israel’s God: - (BROUGHT) DOWN THE HIGH TREE. In 586 BC, Jerusalem was captured by Nebuchadnezzar and the people were carried off to seventy years of captivity in Babylon. They lost king and kingdom and have not regained either to this day. - EXALT(ED) THE LOW TREE. Seventy years after Judah’s deportation to Babylon, the “low” nation, now without king or autonomous kingdom, was at least re-granted some of her land and national capital. - DR(IED) UP THE GREEN TREE. The nation was “green” with the hope of a restored Davidic kingdom with the first century arrival of the Son of David, Messiah Jesus. Of course, the apostate religious leadership, in collusion with their Roman overlords, would have none of it and proceeded to crucify their King. Anticipating this, Jesus acted out their doom on His final trip to Jerusalem. He cursed the fruitless fig tree and it immediately “dried up” (Matthew 21:18-20) …as predicted by Ezekiel. - WILL…MAKE THE DRY TREE FLOURISH. The shocking “leafing out” of formerly dead national Israel on May 14, 1948 is a generational wake-up call. This Ezekiel passage routes through and is the very heart of Jesus’ Olivet “fig tree and all the trees” parable. It is the key to understanding the Olivet Discourse and all end-times prophecy. THE FIG TREE PUZZLE SOLVED Then He told them a parable: "BEHOLD THE FIG TREE AND ALL THE TREES; 30 as soon as they put forth [leaves,] you see it and know for yourselves that summer is now near. 31 "So you also, when you see these things happening, recognize that the kingdom of God is near. 32 "Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all things take place. 33 "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away. Luke 21:29-33 Many have suggested that Luke’s version of the fig tree parable destroys any generational insight one might gain as to the rapture and the return of Christ from the reemergence of national Israel. Their retort to us “date-setters” is that the fig tree may not even represent national Israel because Luke refers not just to the fig tree but “all the trees” as well. To them, the fig tree parable is therefore just Christ saying that His return will be as certain as the fig tree or ANY tree leafing out in the summer. But that would be redundant nonsense. By quoting Ezekiel’s “tree and all the trees” parable on the way to Calvary, Christ assured the weeping daughters of Jerusalem that the reemergence of national Israel would be the last generation of believing Jews’ exit sign (as part of that generation’s pre-rapture Church) as well as the sign of unbelieving national Israel’s eventual, final redemption. This is, after all, what the entire Olivet Discourse, with the generation-signaling fig tree parable at its heart, is all about. Messiah’s death on Calvary’s hill would mean the savage death of national Israel at the hands of the brutal Romans in 70 AD. The terror and destruction would be so overwhelming that the Jews would long for “the mountains and hills to fall on us and cover us”. The Israeli fig tree, green with the hope of King and Kingdom at Jesus’ first century arrival, would dry up for two thousand years. The antagonistic nation “trees” under Rome I would trample Israel and Jerusalem “underfoot until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled” (Luke 21:24). CHRIST IS AT THE DOOR Again, the beginning of the end of those times occurred with the reemergence of leafy but still spiritually fruitless national Israel on May 14, 1948. As Jesus’ Olivet fig tree parable and His Ezekiel-based, “green tree” parable on His way to Calvary assure us, “this generation will not pass away until all these things (the rapture and the events of the seven-year Tribulation…Matthew 24-25) take place.” This generation’s scoffers therefore are about to have their mouths shut. Their mockery will pass away but Jesus wants those who love His return to take it to the bank: Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words (regarding the meaning of My fig tree parable and the tree parable of Ezekiel) will not pass away.

Part Three: THE PARABLE OF THE SHEEP AND THE GOATS This parable concludes Matthew 25 and the Olivet Discourse. It may be one of the most highly misconstrued of Christ’s parables. Liberals frequently use it to push their socialist government programs. But with this parable, Christ is not offering the world salvation through do-gooderism or signing onto another nanny state program. It is about the standard by which Christ will judge the surviving post-Tribulation world. [Mat 25:31-46 NASB] 31 "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. 32 "ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE GATHERED BEFORE HIM; AND HE WILL SEPARATE THEM FROM ONE ANOTHER, AS THE SHEPHERD SEPARATES THE SHEEP FROM THE GOATS; 33 and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left. 34 "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. 35 'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; 36 naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? 38 'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? 39 'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?' 40 "The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to ONE OF THESE BROTHERS OF MINE, even the least of them, you did it to Me.' 41 "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels; 42 for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me nothing to drink; 43 I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.' 44 "Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?' 45 "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to ONE OF THE LEAST OF THESE, you did not do it to Me.' 46 "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life." As is the case of all the parables of Matthew 24-25, the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats is meant to be understood as connected to the first parable of the series: The Parable of the Fig Tree (Matthew 24:32-36). As we have seen in our study of Christ’s Olivet Discourse, the Rapture (Matthew 24:37-41), the just-past-the-Tribulation-mid-point return of Christ and the “elect” 144,000 to Jerusalem (Matthew 24:22-31), and the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom are all events organically tied to the 70-80-year generation that began with the May 14, 1948 reemergence of national Israel. THE STORY OF THE 144,000 IN THREE PARTS In the first parable of Matthew 25, the 144,000 "foolish" virgins will have become "wise" to salvation when they receive Christ at the preaching of the Two Witnesses, Moses and Elijah. In the Parable of the Talents that follows, the 144,000 will be angelically marked for protection from the Beast and his minions and be deposited around the globe by angels on a gospel-preaching mission (Matthew 24:14; Revelation 7). Although divinely protected from death, these Jewish men will be much persecuted. Many will be preaching from "prison", will be "hungry", "thirsty", without proper clothing, "sick" and "lonely". Of course, anyone who does not receive the mark of the Beast will already be in big trouble. They will not be able to buy or sell and will be social outcasts (Revelation 13:16-18). We have seen over the past two years how just how easy it will be for the state to impose and enforce this murderous mandate even in supposedly freedom-loving, “Christian” America. Attempting to help a member of the 144,000 will result in almost certain loss of life. Head-chopping Islam will likely be the Beast and global Socialism's number one colluding force and enforcer (Revelation 6:9-11; 20:4). Again, however, we have come to recently discover that even family, friends, and neighbors will “be caused to stumble, hand over, and hate” us (Matthew 24:10). DEFY THE BEAST AND HELP THE 144,000…OR ELSE… The same angels who transported the 144,000 to their global preaching mission will bring them back at mid-point day 1,335 of the Tribulation to meet Christ on the temple mount (Isaiah 11:11-13; Daniel 12:3, 10-12; Matthew 24:14, 31; Revelation 14:1). They will defeat the Beast's forces in Jerusalem while, simultaneously, a remnant of Jews flees into the wilderness for 1,260 days of divine protection (Revelation 12). Christ and his evangelists-turned-commandoes 144,000 will find themselves soaked in enemy blood "up to the horses” bridles" for two hundred miles in this, the Psalm 83/Isaiah 63:1-6/Valley of Jehoshaphat…Joel 2-3/Revelation 14 "winepress" judgment. It will be the blood of this prolonged campaign that has drenched Christ's robes when He finally shows up at Armageddon (Revelation 19:13). After Christ "speaks" the wipeout of the Beast and his forces at Armageddon (Revelation 19:15-21), it will be "Sheep and Goats" time. Christ will judge the saving faith of the Tribulation survivors the same way He has always judged faith: the "fruit" of works (Matthew 7:15-23; Hebrews 11:8-17; James 2:21-26). The litmus test for true, saving faith will be "How did you treat these brothers (the 144,000 Jewish global evangelists) of Mine?". If someone showed the faith and courage to visit these, "the least" of all men (again, notice that Christ refers to them as "BROTHERS"...these are exclusively MEN, likely from the Israel Defense Force...see also Revelation 14:1-5), in prison or attempt to meet their physical needs in some way, Christ will impute to them the righteousness discovered by Abraham. These are the "sheep". They will enter the millennial Kingdom and then eternal life with Christ. Those who ignored their plight will be cast off as unbelievers. These are the "goats". They will go to eternal punishment.

Part Two: THE PARABLE OF THE TALENTS The "foolish virgins" of Matthew 25's first parable have now become "wise". They are, primarily, the 144,000 of the book of Revelation who have repented at the preaching of the Two Witnesses. This parable is about Christ commissioning them on their global gospel mission (Revelation 7) and their reward afterward. [Mat 25:14-30 NASB] 14 "FOR IT IS JUST LIKE A MAN ABOUT TO GO ON A JOURNEY, WHO CALLED HIS OWN SLAVES AND ENTRUSTED HIS POSSESSIONS TO THEM. 15 "To one he gave five talents, to another, two, and to another, one, each according to his own ability; and he went on his journey. 16 "Immediately the one who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and gained five more talents. 17 "In the same manner the one who had received the two talents gained two more. 18 "But he who received the one talent went away, and dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money. 19 "Now after a long time the master of those slaves came and settled accounts with them. 20 "The one who had received the five talents came up and brought five more talents, saying, 'Master, you entrusted five talents to me. See, I have gained five more talents.' 21 "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' 22 "Also the one who had received the two talents came up and said, 'Master, you entrusted two talents to me. See, I have gained two more talents.' 23 "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.' 24 "And the one also who had received the one talent came up and said, 'Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow and gathering where you scattered no seed. 25 'And I was afraid, and went away and hid your talent in the ground. See, you have what is yours.' 26 "But his master answered and said to him, 'You wicked, lazy slave, YOU KNEW THAT I REAP WHERE I DID NOT SOW AND GATHER WHERE I SCATTERED NO SEED. 27 'Then you ought to have put my money in the bank, and on my arrival I would have received my money back with interest. 28 'Therefore take away the talent from him, and give it to the one who has the ten talents.' 29 "For to everyone who has, more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but from the one who does not have, even what he does have shall be taken away. 30 "Throw out the worthless slave into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. THE CHURCH AGE GOSPEL MISSION In many ways, this parable is emblematic of anyone's service to Christ during the Church Age. Christ gave the Church the "great commission" to evangelize the world just before He "went on his journey...for a long time" when He ascended to His Father's throne room (Matthew 28:16-20). In evangelism, we "sow” the gospel (Matthew 13:3-23) but it is Christ who "reaps where He did not sow". Our only job is to be faithful in throwing out the seed but the miracle of spiritual regeneration is exclusively the work of the Holy Spirit (John 16:7-11; 2 Corinthians 9:10; Titus 3:5). And yet God will reward us as having a hand in the process…as being "fishers of men" (Matthew 4:19). THE TRIBULATION GOSPEL MISSION For a "long" two thousand years the Church has done her job in varying degrees of obedience. Her replacement evangelists after the Rapture, the 144,000, will largely be faithful as seen by the tremendous number of souls harvested for God during the otherwise dark, approximately three and a half years of their ministry (Revelation 7). IT'S NOT THE AMOUNT OF FAITH BUT WHAT YOU DO WITH IT Again, as all the parables of this chapter, the Parable of the Talents, although specific to the 144,000, is "just like" the two thousand-year Church Age in that "faith without works is dead" (James 2:18-26). Those who have come to know Jesus and His great salvation have always been compelled by the love of Christ to spread this gospel word. Even though specially marked, transported, and protected from death by angels, the 144,000 will have those who do not fully trust Christ (similar to the apostate preachers who are recorded to scoff at the imminent return of Christ during the last days of the Church Age...see the "Evil Slave" parable of Matthew 24). Like those in the pulpits of Matthew 24's last parable, they will have no reward in Christ because they were not really of Christ. The fruit of their "talent" of faith will be a faithless fear that refuses to act on Christ's behalf for the gospel. To their utter chagrin, they will meet the same fate as the false teachers of the Church Age: "they will be cast into outer darkness". What would have been their rightful place and reward will go to those who engaged in the simple obedience of faith. HERE, HAVE A CITY Matthew 25's Parable of the Talents has a near twin in the gospel of Luke (Luke 19:11-27). There a departing Christ has given his servants each a single "mina" to invest in "the kingdom of God". As in the first parable, Christ assesses the laborers’ investment on His return. That the identity of these “slaves" is still the 144,000 Jewish gospel messengers of the Parable of the Talents seems evident from the nature of their "reward". Degrees of faithfulness in Luke's parable receive a dividend not just in “many things” but in "cities". The more faithful the investment by the 144,000 gospel workers, the more souls reached to Christ's profit and glory, the more cities Christ deals out in return to the workers. Of course, Christ will reward all gospel sowers of the current Jew/Gentile Church Age. But this "Parable of the Minas" can only be a reference to the end of that age and the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom based in Israel and its "cities". What seals the argument is that the context of this parable is Christ's triumphal entry into Jerusalem. With Christ's rejection and crucifixion at Calvary came Israel's loss of King and Kingdom. In its place came the Church Age and "Thy Kingdom (yet to) come" (Matthew 6:10). The reemergence of national Israel indicates that the Millennial Kingdom is indeed now all but "come". Through the dark, seven-year Tribulation period, the Jews are about to claim their long-awaited inheritance. The bright spot on the other side is a fairytale land "flowing with milk and honey", where "the lion lies down with the lamb". The 144,000 will be its benign administrators. Their faithful service to Christ during the Tribulation gospel mission will be rewarded with "cities" full of wonderful, grateful, God-fearing people with whom to fellowship in the global New Eden based in Israel.

Part One: THE PARABLE OF THE TEN VIRGINS The parables of Matthew 25 are a confusing mishmash unless they are read in the context of Matthew 24 and its fig tree parable. In Matthew 25, Christ continues painting the generational backdrop that began with the reemergence of national Israel in 1948. THE CHURCH/ISRAEL “VIRGINS” OF THE FIG TREE GENERATION [Mat 25:1-13 NASB] 1 "Then the kingdom of heaven will be comparable to ten virgins, who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 "Five of them were foolish, and five were prudent. 3 "For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, 4 BUT THE PRUDENT TOOK OIL IN FLASKS ALONG WITH THEIR LAMPS. 5 "Now while the bridegroom was delaying, they all got drowsy and began to sleep. 6 "But at midnight there was a shout, 'Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.' 7 "Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 "The foolish said to the prudent, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.' 9 "But the prudent answered, 'No, there will not be enough for us and you too; GO INSTEAD TO THE DEALERS AND BUY SOME FOR YOURSELVES.' 10 "And while they were going away to make the purchase, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast; and the door was shut. 11 "Later the other virgins also came, saying, 'Lord, lord, open up for us.' 12 "But he answered, 'Truly I say to you, I do not know you.' 13 "BE ON THE ALERT THEN, FOR YOU DO NOT KNOW THE DAY NOR THE HOUR. Again, read out of its Matthew 24 context, this first parable of Matthew 25 is indecipherable. But connect it to the generation of the reemergence of national Israel and suddenly the border pieces of the puzzle are assembled. THE OIL OF SALVATION By bringing “oil in flasks along with their lamps” the “prudent” virgins identify themselves as the born-of-the Spirit Jew/Gentile Church of the last days. Their advice to the “foolish” virgins seeking entrance to Christ’s wedding feast to obtain spiritual oil points to Calvary. Christ’s blood-bought, Holy Spirit oil of redemption alone provides the proper “wedding clothes” for all who would gain access to “the kingdom of heaven” (Isaiah 61:10; Matthew 22:11-14). Unbelieving Jews may have the insight to be looking for the arrival of Messiah in our day but only an acceptance of their once-rejected Jesus will spiritually redeem them. FIG TREE GENERATION APOSTASY As predicted by Christ and the apostolic writers, both the Church and Israel will be in a spiritually somnolent state at the Rapture. Apostasy will be rampant in the last days as much of Church leadership will see themselves as “rich and in need of nothing” from the risen Christ (2 Peter 3:3-4; Revelation 3:17). In fact, that is the theme of the Parable of the Sensible versus Evil Slave, the last parable of Matthew 24 (see my last post), which segues into the Parable of the Wise versus Foolish Virgins. Apostate behavior among Church clerics will be characterized by their refusal to acknowledge the truly imminent return of the risen Christ to the fig tree generation. Of course, Israel for the most part still does not recognize Jesus Christ as her returning Savior King. THE MYSTERIOUS TWO OIL DEALERS Again, that the prudent virgins counseled the foolish ones to “go instead to the oil dealers” confirms their born-again status. The gracious, Spirit oil of redemption is received only by a faith response to the Holy Spirit-anointed gospel of Calvary. But just who are these “oil dealers”? Clearly, they are Moses and Elijah, the Two Witnesses of the Book of Revelation. We last saw them with Christ on the Mount of Transfiguration discussing His Calvary mission of mankind’s redemption. [Luk 9:28-36 NASB] 28 Some eight days after these sayings, He took along Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming. 30 AND BEHOLD, TWO MEN WERE TALKING WITH HIM; AND THEY WERE MOSES AND ELIJAH, 31 WHO, APPEARING IN GLORY, WERE SPEAKING OF HIS DEPARTURE WHICH HE WAS ABOUT TO ACCOMPLISH AT JERUSALEM. 32 Now Peter and his companions had been overcome with sleep; but when they were fully awake, they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him. 33 And as these were leaving Him, Peter said to Jesus, "Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah"--not realizing what he was saying. 34 While he was saying this, a cloud formed and began to overshadow them; and they were afraid as they entered the cloud. 35 Then a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!" 36 And when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they kept silent, and reported to no one in those days any of the things which they had seen. The Apostle Peter, seeing Moses and Elijah standing with Christ, could only conclude that no matter what Christ had been telling the disciples about His imminent death and resurrection (Luke 9:22), the King and therefore the Kingdom of Heaven was here to stay (Malachi 4:5). He would not even listen to Moses and Elijah's correction in this regard. Instead, it was time to start building millennial tabernacles. The Father was forced to get in Peter’s face, demanding that he “listen” to what His Son was saying about the Kingdom being delayed to allow for the Church Age and the gospel of Calvary. THE OIL DEALERS’ HEAVENLY HOME Zechariah observed a heavenly courtroom in which the priest Joshua was represented by Christ before an accusing prosecutor, Satan. Christ made the legal case that Joshua was no longer under condemnation because he was “a brand plucked from the fire” whose “filthy garments” of sin would now be replaced by Christ’s blood-bought “clean…garments” of salvation (Zechariah 3:1-5). The view then shifts to “two olive trees” on either side of a heavenly golden lampstand (Zechariah 4). They are characterized as dispensers of the heavenly oil of redemption as they “stand beside the Lord of the whole earth” (again, vividly prefigured before the apostles on the Mount of Transfiguration). The gospel message is therefore illustrated to be inseparable from its foundation on the Law and the Prophets. Moses and Elijah are witness to the Old Testament's fulfillment in Christ and His redemptive mission. TRIBULATION LAMPSTANDS The Book of Revelation confirms their identity and their Tribulation gospel mission: [Rev 11:1-4 NASB] 1 Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, "Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. 2 "Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread underfoot the holy city for forty-two months. 3 "And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth." 4 THESE ARE THE TWO OLIVE TREES AND THE TWO LAMPSTANDS THAT STAND BEFORE THE LORD OF THE EARTH. At the rapture of the Church and the onset of the dark seven-year Tribulation period, Moses and Elijah will be the only gospel lights on planet earth. The "foolish" Jewish virgins will finally become "wise" when they repent at their temple mount preaching. As suggested in a previous blog post, https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=798377023619688&set=gm.1654899441285777 these initial converts will almost certainly be 144,000 men from the IDF.

SINCE MAY 14, 1948…JESUS WANTS YOU TO SPECULATE The fig tree parable, at the heart of Jesus’ Olivet Discourse, was meant by Him to be a literal “wake-up call” to the last Church generation. The 70-80-year generation (Psalm 90:10) that began with the reemergence of “fig tree” national Israel on May 14, 1948 “will not pass away” (those born in that year will not die off) “until all these things take place” (the rapture and Tribulation events of which Jesus speaks in the Olivet Discourse). “Take it to the bank”, says He, for “heaven and earth will pass away but My words (regarding the earth-shaking significance of the reemergence of national Israel) will not pass away” …Matthew 24:32-35). IS YOUR PASTOR WILFULLY OBLIVIOUS? So, what has been the response of most of this generation’s pulpits to Christ’s demand that we pay strict attention to the meaning of May 14, 1948? Clearly, it has been to hit the “purpose driven”/seeker sensitive/church-as-business snooze button. Rick Warren’s disparaging, “prophecy is a distraction” quip is now the mantra of this Laodicean generation. The thus “nauseated” Jesus (Revelation 3:16) warned us that this lukewarm apostasy was coming to a last-generation pulpit near you. It is clearly portrayed in the last parable of Matthew 24 (see also the apostle Peter’s identical warning... 2 Peter 3:1-9). Observe: 42 "Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. 43 "But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. 44 "For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think [He will.] 45 "Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? 46 "Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. 47 "Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. 48 "BUT IF THAT EVIL SLAVE SAYS IN HIS HEART, 'MY MASTER IS NOT COMING FOR A LONG TIME,' 49 and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; 50 the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect [him] and at an hour which he does not know, 51 and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew 24:42-51 The fig tree generation’s “heads of the house” (pulpits) will, for the most part, be prophecy-denying frauds. They will be issuing high-sounding platitudes that will subtly shift attention away from the risen, returning Christ to the “felt needs” of the church and especially to the smiling but deceptive and worldly leader. This will stand in stark contrast to the few “faithful and sensible slave(s)” who are issuing the scriptural “food at the proper time” …the fig tree parable-based warning of an imminent, pre-Tribulation rapture: 36 "But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. 37 "For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. 38 "For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 40 "Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. 41 "Two women [will be] grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left. Matthew 24:36-41 Jesus will come at the rapture on a “day and hour no one knows” but He has gone to great lengths throughout the Olivet Discourse to disabuse one and all, especially last days’ pulpits, of the notion that we would not know and be held accountable for knowing the GENERATION of His return. As in the days just preceding the global flood, the rapture removal of the Church will initiate a “days of Noah” nightmare for a God-and-truth-denying world as it is swept into the nightmarish seven-year Tribulation period…along with the “teeth-gnashing hypocrites” in many pulpits. IS YOUR PASTOR AN “EVIL SLAVE” SHEEP-BEATER? Jesus has boxed us in here. From its context right after the fig tree parable and the rapture, this last parable of Matthew 24, shows itself to be a litmus test for true faith. Does your pastor point you to a truly imminent rapture in this fig tree generation? Then he is the real deal and you can trust him. A pulpit enamored with “purpose-driven” ideology on the other hand, will have no real use for the risen, returning Christ, functioning just fine thank you on a worldly business model that “does church” very successfully for those with “itching ears” (2 Timothy 4:3), but treats those “who love His appearing” (2 Timothy 4:8) at the rapture despicably. In fact, these wolves in sheep’s’ clothing will gladly “beat their fellow slaves” while proceeding to reveal their true worldly nature. They will openly mock them and the whole notion of the return of Jesus saying, “My master is not coming for a long time”. IF YOU AREN’T SPECULATING…YOU AREN’T PAYING ENOUGH ATTENTION Before May 14, 1948, speculating as to the timing of the rapture was indeed…well…just that…baseless speculation. But Jesus warned us that everything would change with the reemergence of national Israel. We can now speculate as to the “day or the hour” since we now have His SWORN TESTIMONY THAT THIS IS THE GENERATION of the rapture and the events of the seven-year Tribulation period. Doing anything less than contemplating and teaching these things could reveal a heart that has either gone cold toward Christ or does not truly contain a saving faith. I wear the “date-setter” tag with pride. Scripture may not give us the exact day or hour but I believe God has left us tantalizing, generational bread crumbs. Follow some of them here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/816727318436331/posts/4583326295109729/