Matthew 25:1

 Matthew 25:1 says, Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.  Jesus told them the parable of the bridegroom and the ten virgins.  Verse two adds, And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.  Half of the virgins were called wise and half foolish.  Again, when referring to lost and saved people,  I don't believe that this means there is a fifty-fifty split.  Verse three declares, They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:  The foolish virgins took their lamps, but no oil.  A person may appear to have everything required to be a Christian, but if they do not have a personal relationship with Christ, they are like the virgins with no oil.  Verse four adds, But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.  The wise virgins came prepared, and the only way we can be prepared is through accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse five says, While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. . While awaiting the coming of the bridegroom, all ten slumbered and slept.  Verse six adds, And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.  It was midnight before the bridegroom came, and the virgins were told to be ready to meet him.  Verse seven continues, Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.  All ten reacted the same way, trimming their lamps.  Verse eight declares, And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.  The five foolish virgins had their lamps go out and looked to the five wise for help.  Verse nine adds, But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.  The wise told the foolish that they did not have enough oil for both, just as followers of Christ cannot save anyone else.  We only have salvation for our self,, but if course no one can go and buy salvation.   Verse ten declares, And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.  While the five foolish were gone to buy oil, the bridegroom came, and they went in and shut the door.  When Jesus, the Bridegroom of the saved returns, those who have accepted Him will go with Him, and the door will be shut.  Verse eleven adds, Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.  The other five virgins came asking for entrance.  Verse twelve continues, But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.  The bridegroom say he did not know the five foolish virgins, just as Jesus the Bridegroom will not know those who have not accepted Him as Savior and Lord, and there will be no admission to heaven for those who are not prepared by accepting Him.  Verse thirteen concludes, Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.  We are warned to be ready whenever Christ returns because we cannot know the day nor the hour that He will come.

Matthew 24:40

 Matthew 24:40 says, Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.  Jesus said people would be going about their normal lives and one would be taken and one left, and you do not want to be the one left.  Verse forty-one adds, Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.  This is just another example of people going about everyday life, but I don't  believe that this means that half of the people will be saved and half left behind.  Verse forty-two states, Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.  We will never know when Jesus is returning, but we know that we are to continue to work and be ready when He does.  Verse forty-three adds, But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.  Jesus tells us that even though we do not know when He will return that we should always be ready.  Verse forty -four declares, Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.  Jesus tells us that we are not to try to pinpoint His return, but to be ready, because when we least expect it, He will return.  Verse forty-five adds, Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?  Jesus said a faithful servant will do his or her job responsibly because he or she has faith in their lord meeting his or her needs.  Verse forty-six says, Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.  Those servants who are doing what they should be doing will be rewarded when their lord returns.  I don't believe this means that we work for rewards from God, but that He rewards us for our faithfulness to Him.   Verse forty-seven declares, Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.  If we are faithful in doing what we should for God,  He will give us a great reward, and there is no greater reward than everlasting life with God.  Verse forty-eight warns, But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;  Verse forty-nine continues, And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;  Jesus then spoke of the evil servant, who when his lord did not return quickly, started to do whatever he wanted to do.  Some people, who claim to accept Jesus as their Savior and Lord, when time passes and things haven't gone as they wanted, will begin to question God and if Jesus really is going to return.  Then, too often, they revert to life as it was before.  Verse fifty declares, The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,  Verse fifty-one adds,  And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  Basically,  Jesus tells us that He is going to return when we least expect it, so we are to not concern ourselves with when, but are simply to be ready whenever He returns.

Matthew 24:29

Matthew 24:29 says. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:  Jesus said that immediately after the tribulation that the sun would become dark, the moon would not give light and the stars would fall from heaven.  It will be a very dark time both physically and spiritually.  Verse thirty declares, And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.  Jesus said that then the sign of the Son of man shall appear in the clouds, the people of the earth will mourn because they have not accepted Him while there was time I believe, and then the Son of man, Christ Himself, will appear with power and great glory.  Unlike His birth, when few people knew of it, this time the whole world will know of Jesus' return.  Verse thirty-one adds, And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.  Jesus tells us that He will send His angels to gather the elect, those who have accepted Him as Savior and Lord, from all over the world.  Verse thirty-two states, Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:  Jesus said that we are to learn from the fig tree that when we see the branch start to bud that we know summer is close.  Verse thirty-three adds, So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.  Jesus said that when we see all the signs that He had mentioned that we should know that the second coming of Christ is near.  I believe the main message that we can get from this is to be ready at any time.  Verse thirty-four declares, Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.  Jesus said that this generation would not pass away until all these things were fulfilled.  I don't believe that Jesus was saying that He was going to return before that generation passed away, and we know He didn't, but that He could come at anytime after that He ascended.  I am sure that many believed Jesus would return during their lifetime then, just as many have believed at all times since.  Verse thirty-five adds, Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.  Just as God created heaven and earth, He can destroy them, but nothing can ever cause the word of God to pass away.  Even if the whole world stops believing the word of God, it will still be true.  Verse thirty-six proclaims,  But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.  Since Jesus said no one would know, but just like in the the day of Noah those who didn't believe Noah were washed away, so will those of the world at the second coming be doomed without hope if they have not put their faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.

Matthew 24:15

 Matthew 24:15 says, When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)  Jesus is still speaking about the Second Coming, and refers to the abomination of desolation spoken of by Daniel standing in the holy place, and then He adds let anyone who reads this understand it.  I believe this means that there can be different interpretations of what this means, but that Christians should recognize it when it happens.  Verse sixteen adds, Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:  Jesus warns those who are in Judea to flee to the mountains when this occurs.  Verse seventeen continues, Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:  Jesus warned people that they should not take the time to attempt to pack anything, but that they should flee immediately.  Verse twenty-eight adds, Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.  As just stated, Jesus said that there would be no time to return to the house and take anything.  Verse nineteen declares, And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!  Jesus stated that it would be an especially hard time for women who were pregnant or who had babies.  Verse twenty adds, But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:  Jesus said that they should pray that this didn't occur on the sabbath or in winter, when time to travel would be limited.  Verse twenty-one continues, For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.  Jesus said that during this time there would be tribulation like the world had never seen nor ever would see again.  Verse twenty-two declares, And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.  Jesus said that unless these days were shortened that no one would be saved, physically I believe, but that for the sake of the elect, or those who put their faith in Christ, that this time of persecution would be shortened.  Verse twenty-three declares, Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.  Jesus warned that there would be those claiming to be Christ during this time, but that Christians, nor anyone else for that matter, were to believe him.  There have been people in our time who claim to be Christ, or Jesus returned to the earth physically, and there have been people who believe them, but there is but One Christ, and that is Jesus.  Verse twenty-four adds, For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.  Jesus warned that these false Christs and prophets would show great signs and wonders, and if possible that they would deceive even those who had already put their faith in Him.  Not all things that seem to be a miracle come from God.  Verse twenty-five continues, Behold, I have told you before.  Jesus said this was not the first time that He had told them this.  It should certainly not be the first time that we as followers of Christ have heard it, and we should take heed that we do not allow ourselves to be deceived by anyone claiming to have some greater connection to God than anyone else does.  Verse twenty-six says, Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.  Jesus warned that wherever someone claimed to be this false Christ that we were to not go after him.  Verse twenty-seven declares, For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.  Jesus said that like the lightning spread across the entire sky, so would the His return be seen by all people at once.  No one will have to go looking for Him in any specific place.  Verse twenty-eight concludes, For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.  When Jesus returns, He will come to all people wherever they are whether they have accepted Him as Savior and Lord or not.

Matthew 24:1

Matthew 24:1 says, And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.  After Jesus left the temple, the disciples came to show him the buildings of the temple.  After Jesus left, that is all it was- a building.  The place that we worship is only a building if God is not there and in charge.  Verse two states,  And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.  Jesus asked if they did not see all these things.  Do we see all things clearly when we are looking at the world today?  Jesus then told the disciples that it would all be thrown down, and the temple as it was viewed then was.  People went to the temple to pray and meet God, but it had lost that function, plus people would meet Jesus wherever they were after His death, burial and resurrection.  Verse three says, And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?  The disciples came to Jesus privately when He was on the Mount of Olives asking when these things would happen and what was the sign of the end of the world.  People are still looking for a sign today.  Verse four declares,  And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.  Jesus warned the disciples, and the warning is still true for us today, to not let any man deceive them about the end of time.  Verse five adds, For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.  Jesus said there would be many who came claiming to be Christ, and we hear of people doing so today, and that many would be deceived.  Verse six continues, And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.  We definitely hear of wars and rumors of wars today, but Jesus said that even though this must come to pass, the end was not yet come.  Verse seven states,  For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.  In addition to wars, Jesus said there would be pestilence and earthquakes in places where they normally didn't occur, and we know this is true today.  Verse eight adds, All these are the beginning of sorrows.  Jesus said these were the beginnings of the sorrows, and He was speaking to His disciples over two thousand years ago.  Verse nine continues, Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake.  Jesus told the disciples that they would be afflicted and killed, and hated by all nations for His name sake.  We are not there yet today as far as being hated by all nations, but we are getting closer.  Verse ten continues, And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.  There are many people offended by Christianity today, and they may hate Christians, but we cannot respond with hate for them, but it seems to me that we too often do.  Verse eleven declares, And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.  We know that there are many false prophets today who deceive many people, but there always have been.  Verse twelve adds, And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.  Jesus said that because iniquity would abound that the love of many people for God would grow cold.  How often do you hear someone say that if there is a God, why does He allow all this evil to exist, and that they cannot believe in a God Who does?  Verse thirteen continues, But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.  I believe that anyone who truly puts his or her faith in Christ as Savior and Lord will indeed endure to the end.  Nothing will separate us from God if we are truly His.  Verse fourteen declares, And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.  The only sure fact that will mark the end of time is the gospel being preached in all nations.  I am not sure if this has happened yet or not, but if we are looking for a sign of the end of time, this is the only one that matters.

Matthew 23:33

Matthew 23:33 says, Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?  Jesus was still talking to the scribes and Pharisees but the question could apply to about any generation and any group of people who profess to believe in God but really only do so for appearance sake.  Verse thirty-four adds, Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall ye scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city:  Jesus said that He would send to the people wise men, and that they would not only kill and crucify some and scourge them in their synagogues but would persecute them from city to city.  People today, especially in parts of the world, sent to share the gospel are persecuted, beaten and even killed, which is terrible, but this was God's chosen people that Jesus was talking to.  We cannot allow ourselves to be God's people, Christians, in name only and then persecute those who are proclaiming God's word.  Verse thirty-five adds, That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar.  Jesus said the blood of all the righteous would their heads, and not just on the heads of those who lived at that time.  I don't believe this makes someone responsible for the sins of others, but makes them just as responsible for the attitude that they have toward God.  Had the people of that day lived during the time these prophets had, they would have joined in with those who were  persecuting them.  The scribes and Pharisees could not excuse themselves from the persecution of prophets in the past, because they were guilty of persecuting them in the present.  Verse thirty-six declares, Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.  I believe that Jesus was simply stating that what had been done to the prophets in the past would also be done in the present.  We can either be a part of those who follow Christ or we can be a part of those who persecute Him and those who witness for Him.  We cannot simply blame the crucifixion of Jesus on a past generation, but we must accept the fact that everyone at anytime is guilty of His crucifixion.  The question is always whether or not we will accept the gift of salvation that comes through belief in Christ alone.  This is a question that must be answered by each generation.  Verse thirty-seven adds, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!  Jesus asked the people of Jerusalem, the seat of government for God's chosen people, how often would God have gathered them under His wing and they would not allow Him to.  God awaits to gather people under His wing today, but how often do they refuse to allow Him to do so.  What is really sad is that these are the people who were supposed to be God's people.  Verse thirty-eight continues, Behold, your house is left unto you desolate.  Since these people, who were supposed to be God's people, refused to listen to God's prophets they were left desolate.  So will we be spiritually, no matter how rich we may be in the world, if we refuse to accept the gospel of Christ.  Verse thirty-nine concludes, For I say unto you, Ye shall not see me henceforth, till ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.  Jesus said that thy would not see Him again until they proclaimed Him to be blessed since He came in the name of the Lord, or God Himself.  We will not see Jesus until we acknowledge Who He is and accept His gift of salvation by faith.  We nay know everything about Him historically, but we will not truly see Him accept by faith.

Matthew 23:13

 Matthew 23:13 says, But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.  Speaking to the scribes and Pharisees, some of the most religious of God's chosen people, Jesus said woe unto them.  They not only shut themselves out of the kingdom of heaven, but they worked to prevent others from entering as well.  Following rituals in self pride will never be enough to get anyone into heaven.  Verse fourteen states, Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.  Jesus continues to pronounce woe on the scribes and Pharisees, calling them hypocrites.  Jesus said the took the houses of widows and for a pretense they made long prayers.  We can pray all day long, but unless we have a personal relationship with Jesus, it will do us no good.  Verse fifteen says, Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.  Jesus next pronounced woe on the scribes and Pharisees for working so hard to make a proselyte, then making him a twofold child of hell.  If we convert someone into a false Christianity, one that is based on anything more than faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, then we leave them worse off than they were before.  Verse sixteen states, Woe unto you, ye blind guides, which say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor!  Jesus next pronounced woe on those who said swearing by the temple was nothing but swearing by the gold in the temple made one a debtor.  Jesus called them blind guides.  The temple was God's house of prayer, but the gold inside the temple the religious leaders had come to view as their own.  Verse seventeen adds, Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold?  Jesus continued by calling them fools and blind, asking them which was greater, the gold or the temple that sanctified it.  When we begin to look at a house of worship as being of less value than than the riches inside it, something is wrong.  Verse eighteen continues, And, Whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever sweareth by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty.  Jesus then made the same statement about the altar versus the gift on the altar.  We should never value the gifts, the material things, brought to the altar of God more than we value the altar as a place to worship God.  Verse nineteen adds, Ye fools and blind: for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?  Jesus then asked which was greater, the gift or the altar that sanctified it.  Whatever we bring to the altar of God should always be of less value to us than God that the altar represents is.  Verse twenty declares, Whoso therefore shall swear by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all things thereon.  Jesus said that if we swear by the altar that we also swear by all that is on the altar.  Verse twenty-one adds, And whoso shall swear by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein.  Jesus said that if we swear by the temple that we also swear by God, Who dwells therein.  Verse twenty-two concludes, And he that shall swear by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon.  Jesus then said that anyone who swore by heaven was swearing by the throne of God and by God Himself Who sits on the throne.  As followers of Christ, we must acknowledge that there is nothing greater than our relationship with Christ, and we can never separate the world into the physical and the spiritual feeling that what we do physically will never be important to our spiritual relationship with God.  Everything that we have should be devoted to God and the advancement of His kingdom.