MESSIAH WARNED His hearers concerning FALSE PROPHETS who
OUTWARDLY "come to you in SHEEP'S CLOTHING, but INWARDLY are RAVENING WOLVES" (Matthew 7:15)
In ANSWER to the disciples' QUESTIONS concerning "the
SIGN of HIS COMING" and "the END of the AGE" (Matthew 24:3) - MESSIAH WARNED them that "FALSE PROPHETS shall arise and DECEIVE
MANY" (Matthew 24:11)
MESSIAH WARNED His hearers that "FALSE CHRISTS and
FALSE PROPHETS shall rise and SHOW SIGNS and WONDERS to SEDUCE, if it were possible even the elect" (Mark 13:22)
"THAT DAY shall NOT COME, IF NOT there COME THE DEPARTURE
FIRST , and THE MAN OF SIN be REVEALED, THE SON OF DESTRUCTION" (II Thessalonians 2:3)
FIRST, THE DEPARTURE - "our GATHERING TOGETHER unto
Him" (II Thessalonians 2:1), i.e. "we ... shall be CAUGHT UP TOGETHER ... to MEET the Lord
IN THE AIR" (I Thessalonians 4:17)
"And THEN shall THE LAWLESS ONE be REVEALED ... with
ALL POWER and SIGNS and LYING WONDERS and with ALL DECEIVABLENESS of UNRIGHTEOUSNESS" (II Thessalonians 2:8-10)
MESSIAH WARNED His hearers to BEWARE of the POPULARITY
enjoyed by FALSE PROPHETS (Luke 6:26)
who "PRIVILY shall BRING IN DAMNABLE HERESIES ... and BRING UPON THEMSELVES SWIFT DESTRUCTION" (II Peter 2:1)
For "THE DAY OF THE LORD ... COMETH AS A THIEF IN
THE NIGHT" (I Thessalonians 5:2) - "for WHEN they shall say PEACE AND SAFETY: THEN SUDDEN DESTRUCTION
COMETH upon them ... AND THEY SHALL NOT ESCAPE" (I Thessalonians 5:3)
In "THE LAST TIME" WHEN "ANTICHRIST SHALL
COME" (I John 2:18)
- it will be necessary to "TRY (TEST) THE SPIRITS" that are behind the "MANY FALSE PROPHETS"
(I John 4:1)
The TEST is do they CONFESS (AGREE WITH) that "JESUS
CHRIST IS COMING in the flesh" (I John 4:2)
MESSIAH'S COMING shall be "as the LIGHTNING COMETH
out of the east, and SHINETH even unto the west" (Matthew 24:27 cf.Zechariah 9:14)
"And THEN SHALL APPEAR the SIGN of the Son of Man
... and THEN SHALL ALL ... SEE the Son of Man COMING in the Clouds of Heaven with POWER and GREAT GLORY" (Matthew 24:30 cf.Daniel 7:13-14)
MESSIAH'S COMING shall be VISIBLE TO ALL for "EVERY
EYE SHALL SEE HIM" (Revelation 1:7)
GRAPES are the GOOD FRUIT of the VINE tree and THORNS
are the EVIL (BAD) FRUIT of the VINE tree (Matthew 7:16-17)
NATIONALLY, ISRAEL is represented by the VINE tree as
pictured by her NATIONAL birth (Psalms 80:8)
FIGS are the GOOD FRUIT of the FIG tree and THISTLES are
the EVIL (BAD) FRUIT of the FIG tree (Matthew 7:16-17)
RELIGIOUSLY, ISRAEL is represented by the FIG tree as
pictured by the TEMPLE that was to be DESTROYED (Matthew 24:1-2) and then later to be REBUILT again (Matthew 24:32-33) at the TIME of the FULFILLMENT of Daniel's vision concerning the SANCTUARY
(Daniel 8:13-15) "at the TIME of the END" (Daniel 8:17)
NATIONALLY, ISRAEL did NOT bring forth GOOD FRUIT - she
REJECTED her KING (John 19:15)
and His KINGDOM (Luke 19:14)
RELIGIOUSLY, MESSIAH SOUGH FRUIT from ISRAEL'S RELIGIOUS
LEADERS (Luke 13:6-9)
and FOUND NONE - "WOE unto you, SCRIBES and PHARISEES, HYPOCRITES!" (Matthew 23:13-15,23,25,27,29) and declared to them, "Behold, your HOUSE is left unto you DESOLATE"
(Matthew 23:38)