Modern English translations, many of them are thought-for-thought, not word for word. They are beneficial to young people who have difficulty with the kjv english. But as a person grows in Christ, those modern thought-for-thought translation can be misleading.
Rubbish. Try the NIV for readability and ESV for accuracy - there's nothing super-special about the KJV.
The kjv has stood the test of time, and scrutiny. There are critics of it, and there are defenders of it.
It has a great place in history - and we should thank it for what it achieved. But it's time to move on already!
The translation that Keras uses, imo, has a built in bias to it, and is not readily available to the public, free. To copy and paste into the forum. I am not going to get into a discussion of the various translations.
NIV for readability and memory verses - I know a Professor of OT on the translation committee.
The ESV for accuracy - but it somehow doesn't stick as a memory verse.
The issue is the parable of the fig tree generation, not translations, to know that the end time events leading up to Jesus's second coming in Matthew 24:15-31 and the rapture in Matthew 24:32-51 are near at hand.
The issue really is Zephaniah - as that's the thread - but when has this forum ever stuck to the OP?
This is a classic sermon on the "abomination that causes desolation" part of Matthew 24, and then the Son of man on the clouds. He doesn't cover every single detail, but it's a good introduction to the Sydney Anglican position on this chapter. It's actually my church.
The readings start at 22:00 minutes in and then the sermon.
Then there's the next sermon on the second half of Matthew 24. The parable of the days of Noah proves that we cannot know - the people were all marrying and partying like the Noah thing was a mystery. The whole point of quoting Noah is how utterly unknowable Jesus' return really is.
Matthew 24:36 “But about
that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For in the days before the flood,
people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; 39 and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41 Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left."
Indeed, Jesus here makes the whole futurist reading of Revelation laughable. Because if ANY of the things in Revelation were to happen as interpreted by 'literal futurists' then we'd know, for sure, that there was a 7 year timetable, here we go! But this directly contradicts Jesus own words here. Jesus says life will be
so normal no one will suspect a thing. They'll be making long term plans like marrying and partying all like nothing's wrong!
The thief doesn't know, the bad servant doesn't know, and the young women with their bridal welcoming lamps don't know. Indeed, the whole point of the parable of the 10 young women is that only those who plan for Jesus to delay a long time are doing the right thing!
The thing I love about Sydney Anglican Amillennialism is that it is incredibly practical and just rings absolutely true of what Jesus is saying here. We cannot know when Jesus will return. It may indeed feel long delayed. So what are we to do? Stay true to the gospel, serve God well, and remain ready throughout your life. It's practical, gospel focussed, and deeply soul-searching - not all this end-times tables guessing nonsense. Starts at 21 minutes in.
(Also, please do not text that mobile number questions as it is only for during the service.)
To get to the bit you were talking about straight away...
Matt 24
26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the wilderness,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
29 “Immediately after the distress of those days
“‘the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light;
the stars will fall from the sky,
and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
This is the setup. Some Sydney Amils see the warning against false Christs in the desert as requiring a flash forward to the last day. "That day" will be unmistakable, universal, inescapable. In contrast to the Romans coming, which will be unmistakable but LOCAL and COMMANDED to escape!
30 “Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. 31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
Some Sydney Amils see this as the Last Day - a reminder that it will be universal and inescapable - and then the narrative goes back to "these things" such as the Romans coming and the temple being destroyed in THAT GENERATION THEN!
Some Sydney Amils see the "Son of Man coming in the clouds" as Jesus ascending to heaven after his resurrection triumph, and that he's not so much coming to earth as coming before the Ancient of Days as in Daniel. Then he sends his angels = MESSENGERS out to save his people.
Either way is convinced that "this generation" really was the generation Jesus was speaking to right then - the disagreement is to how much that applies to in this chapter.
32 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.
This is a warning about when the temple is going to be destroyed. It might even be a warning that the disciples should even know Jesus is about to be crucified - as some Sydney Amils see the whole apocalyptic language above referring to the sheer horror of the Son of God being murdered for us. There was an eclipse and other signs that accompanied Jesus death.
The key? Learning to tell the difference between "These things" = the temple the disciples asked about - yes - that one 2000 years ago - and "That day" = the end of the age.
It's just some Sydney Amils see ALL this passage as apocalyptic language about the gospel events, and not even the Return.
