Daily Writing

Monday, 9 November 2026

For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. Matthew 24:5

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Many, indeed, they will come upon the ‘name, Mine’, saying, ‘I, I am the Christ.’ And many, they will ‘roam’.” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus warned His disciples to take heed so that they would not be deceived (they would not roam). He continues that thought next, saying, “Many, indeed, they will come upon the ‘name, Mine’.”

The meaning of “upon” is as if possessing the authority of. This does not necessarily mean they are claiming to be Jesus, but that is not ruled out as well. This specifically deals with His words of the next clause, “saying, ‘I, I am the Christ.’”

Jesus’ words are emphatic. People will come and adamantly avow that they are the Christ, meaning the anointed one or Messiah. The word Christ is the Greek translation of Messiah. Both mean “anointed one.” Throughout Israel’s history, this has been true. In the first century, a Jew arose, Simon bar Kokhba. He claimed to be the “son of the Star,” meaning the star prophesied in Numbers 24:17. He was hailed as the Messiah by the Jewish sage Rabbi Akiva.

Since his time, there has been a seemingly endless string of people who either claimed to be the Messiah or who were proclaimed the Messiah. For example, many leaders of Jewish cults have been proclaimed the Messiah, even after their deaths. They are followed to this day in those cults, being revered years and years later.

There are various sects in Israel today that are led by men claiming to be the Messiah. Billboards line streets and highways proclaiming one person or another is the Messiah. Of this proclamation of Jesus, He continues, saying, “And many, they will ‘roam’.”

In other words, through the proclamation, many will be misled and pulled away from the truth. The pages of Scripture allow for only one true Messiah who will fulfill the many messianic prophecies detailed in its pages. To follow anyone else as the supposed Messiah is to cut oneself off from any hope of following the truth of Scripture.

Unfortunately, people don’t bother with Scripture, or their understanding of it is so twisted that they cannot rightly determine the truth concerning Jesus Christ.

Life application: Though Jesus’ words are directed to Israel and those who make false claims within the Jewish society, such claims are not limited to them.

The idiocy of people claiming to be not only the Messiah, but Jesus Himself has been seen throughout church history. Many people over the years have claimed they are Him. Just in recent years, there are people in Russia, Australia, Brazil, the United States, South Korea, the Philippines, Zambia, Kenya, and elsewhere who have claimed to be Jesus. Wikipedia has its own page dedicated to these nutjobs entitled List of people claimed to be Jesus.

Twice in my years as a pastor, I have met people who claimed to be Jesus. One of them was obviously delusional. He first claimed to be John the Baptist. After a bit of counseling, he decided he was Jesus. A second person came from Israel a couple of times to visit his friend who attends our church.

He eventually claimed, “I Am.” When asked to be specific, he said he is Jesus who is God. He disappeared from our radar for a couple of years, but in September 2026, he came forward claiming to be Jesus, Son of David, the leader of the Gan Eden (Garden of Eden) party in Israel. He has joined the race to become the Prime Minister of Israel.

What would prompt someone who has heard the gospel to decide that he is the one who made the gospel possible? Such thinking is either nuts or it is calculated to gain some benefit, such as power, control, fame, etc. What is more disturbing is that there are people who willingly follow these lunatics.

And why does this happen? It is because people fail to read the manual for mankind, meaning the Bible. They put their trust in what someone says without any proof. Many have wound up dead because of such misguided thinking. It is a sad place to be, but this is a part of the human condition that we need to beware of.

People are willing to follow charismatic leaders right off the edge of a cliff or to the destruction of the land in which they live. Hitler brought Germany to its knees, and Pol Pot of Cambodia brought about the death of millions. Barack Obama, through his twisted worldview, has brought about a state of moral degradation that the United States may never recover from.

The list of such people is extensive. We must always be on guard against being duped by political or spiritual leaders who promote perverse agendas. Hold fast to the Bible, fix your eyes on Jesus, and be content to live your life in hopes of a world far better than this one. This is what Jesus promises. Anything else will end badly for those who get misdirected from the truth of God in Christ.

Lord God, Your word tells us who we should follow. It is sufficiently detailed so that we can know, with total certainty, that Jesus of Nazareth, who is carefully detailed in Your word, is the One true Messiah. May we not be pulled astray from a right relationship with You through Him all our days. Amen.

Sunday, 8 November 2026

And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. Matthew 24:4

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And answering, the ‘Jesus’, He said to them, ‘You must look, lest anyone, you, he should ‘roam’.’” (CG)

In the previous verse, while Jesus sat on the Mount of Olives, His disciples came to Him privately, asking when the things He referred to would be, and what the sign of His advent and the consummation of the age would be. Matthew next records, “And answering, the ‘Jesus’, He said to them, ‘You must look, lest anyone, you, he should ‘roam’.’”

In other words, Jesus warns them that they should be on guard to keep from being deceived. He uses the word planaó, to roam. In this case, He uses it in the sense of causing another to roam.

As seen a few times already, this word is the etymological root of our word planet. Just as a planet appears to roam in the sky, Jesus says that, as a star appears to remain fixed in the sky, His disciples should be grounded in their thinking and fixed in their thoughts concerning what He says. The way someone would fail at this would be for him to be led astray.

The specific means by which someone might deceive others in this manner will be explained in the coming verses. The words Jesus uses tell us that what He says is intended for those who will come later, not specifically the apostles themselves.

Life application: The disciples came to Jesus because they were curious about the events of the consummation of the age. That certainly means something different to the church than it does to Israel. The church has a set age in which it operates. Israel had an age in which it operated.

However, almost like a cosmic clock that stopped, Israel’s age ceased running. Jesus will refer to the words of Daniel the prophet in verse 15. Daniel gives a specific timeline of events for the nation of Israel. However, no matter which way you interpret those verses, there will be a gap of time in them.

Some think the gap was a very short time, maybe a few years. Some think it was approximately forty years, referring to the destruction of the temple in AD70. Others who hold to the dispensational model (not hyperdispensationalism) say the gap began at the time following Christ’s crucifixion, and the age will only pick up again after the church age. That is a period that has lasted, so far, for two thousand years.

Those who hold to the shorter view of time claim that the Bible never speaks of such a long gap. That is actually incorrect, but setting that aside, it doesn’t matter if the gap is a week or two thousand years. From God’s perspective, both are just a blip –

“But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” 2 Peter 3:8

The consummation of the church age is not the same as the consummation of the age the disciples have asked about. First, the church age didn’t exist at the time they asked their question.

As such, the disciples had as much understanding of the coming church age as they had concerning how to make a pineapple pizza, something that didn’t exist until 1962 when Sam Panopoulos stepped outside the bounds of traditional cuisine, taking a monumental risk on an untested blend of sweet and savory. His culinary audacity defied the rules of pizza purists, carving out an enduring legacy built on sheer creative bravery. He called his new delight Hawaiian Pizza.

Second, Jesus speaks about those in Judea. Although there are believers in Judea, that is not the focus of the church age. Rather, the entire world is. Judea is the land of the Jews. Jesus also speaks about observing the Sabbath, something set for the nation of Israel.

In the church, some sects observe the Sabbath, thinking they must do so in order to be saved and to remain in God’s favor, but the Sabbath is a requirement for neither. Standard, proper Christian theology understands that the Sabbath is fulfilled in Christ. Those who believe in the finished work of Christ enter into what the Sabbath only pictured. That is explicitly stated several times in the epistles.

These and other clues in Chapter 24 make it clear that what Jesus speaks of in this chapter is directed to Israel, the nation which is comprised of Jews. The church is a separate entity that has its own age, an age that will end before the time when the age of Israel under the law recommences. That period will last for seven years.

For now, despite Israel being back in the land and being prepared for what lies ahead, they remain Lo Ammi, Not My People, in God’s redemptive plan. Be sure not to mix the dispensations that the Bible presents. In doing so, you will do well. And if you have never tried pineapple pizza, give it a shot. You might like it.

Lord God, thank You that in the church, we are saved by grace through faith and that through this faith, we will be brought into Your presence at the rapture. We long for that day and pray for its coming. May it be soon. Amen.

Saturday, 7 November 2026

Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” Matthew 24:3

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen)

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“Sitting, also He, upon the ‘Mount, the Olives’, they came to Him, the disciples, in private, saying, ‘You tell us when these, it will be? And what the sign, the ‘Your advent’, and the ‘consummation, the age’?’” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus told the disciples that not one stone of the temple and its associated structures would be left upon another. They would all be thrown down. Matthew next says, “Sitting, also He, upon the ‘Mount, the Olives’.”

As noted in a previous commentary, this movement from the temple to the Mount of Olives matches the pattern of the Lord, Yehovah, departing from the temple in Ezekiel before its destruction. From there, it said –

“And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain, which is on the east side of the city.” Ezekiel 11:23

Jesus reveals His divinity through following this same pattern. He is the Lord, Yehovah, incarnate, repeating that which has been done. Having moved to the Mount of Olives in this manner, it next says, “they came to Him, the disciples, in private.”

In Mark 13, it says, “Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked Him privately…” Thus, this may be only those four whom Jesus is speaking to. It may also be that other disciples were already there, these four were talking about Jesus’ words, and they then joined the other disciples and asked the question.

Either way, Matthew is aware of the words of Jesus. So either he was there, or he later was told about the conversation. As for the reason for coming to Jesus privately, Matthew next records that they were “saying, ‘You tell us when these, it will be?’”

The meaning of “these” is based on the previous verse. First, in Matthew 23, Jesus said to Jerusalem that its house was left to it desolate. Then, in verse 24:2, Jesus noted that every stone would be thrown down. This is the “these” they are referring to. But they question further, asking a question that is still waiting for its fulfillment two thousand years later: “And what the sign, the ‘Your advent’, and the ‘consummation, the age’?”

A new word is seen: parousia, advent. It is usually translated as “coming” and most often applied to the Lord’s coming. But there are instances where it is applied to the coming of another, such as Stephanas in 1 Corinthians 16:17 or Titus in 2 Corinthians 7:6. HELPS Word Studies says –

“parousía (from parōn, ‘be present, arrive to enter into a situation’) – properly, coming, especially the arrival of the owner who alone can deal with a situation (cf. LS). 3952 (parousía) is a ‘technical term with reference to the visit of a king or some other official, “a royal visit”’ (Souter) – ‘hence, in the NT, specifically of the Advent or Parousia of Christ’ (A-S).”

So, the disciples want to know about the sign of Jesus’ advent, His coming. To come, one must first be gone. Therefore, it is probable that they are specifically talking about Jesus’ words of Matthew 23:39, “for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

At this time, the disciples must have thought Jesus wouldn’t return to Jerusalem until they acknowledged Him in this way, not that He would be gone from them. There is no indication that they knew He would be gone from them, be it days, months, years, or millennia. However, because of Jesus’ words, they were aware that the temple would be destroyed and that He would only return to Jerusalem at some point in the future.

The confusion in the minds of these men, even after being told everything, having seen Him crucified and raised, and having spent forty days with Him, is evident from the words of Acts 1, where it says –

“Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, ‘Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?’ ⁷ And He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority. ⁸ But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.’” Acts 1:6-8

Even after all of His instruction, they were still thinking Christ’s kingdom and rule over Israel would come about right then. Now, two thousand years later, we are still waiting for the end-times events to come about.

Life application: The Bible is written. We have all the information that God intends to give us until all things are complete. We are not going to be told when the rapture will be. Jesus will not pop into someone’s head and say, “You need to call on Me to be saved.”

The Bible is given to tell us all we need to know about future events, the doctrine of salvation, what to do so that others can be saved, etc. We should not assume that God is going to make an exception to this. Nor should we be looking for such a thing.

Let us pick up the Bible, read it, contemplate it, and accept that it is exactly what we need for our life conduct, walk before the Lord, and information about what is coming. What else do we need? Nothing! Read the Bible and be informed!

Lord God, even the apostles had no idea of the scope of Your plan. Here we are two thousand years later, still waiting for the words of Scripture to come to pass. Help us be patient and also diligent in conducting our affairs, not idly sitting around speculating on things You have not told us about. May we be productive Christians, doing the business You have given us. Amen.

Friday, 6 November 2026

And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” Matthew 24:2

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“The ‘also Jesus’, He said to them, ‘Not you see all these? Amen, I say to you, no not it may be left here, stone upon stone, which not it will be collapsed.’” (CG)

In the previous verse, it said that Jesus departed from the temple and that His disciples came to show Him the buildings of the temple. Despite its magnificence, Matthew records, “The ‘also Jesus’, He said to them, ‘Not you see all these?’”

One can almost sense the conversation. Jesus had proclaimed to Jerusalem that her house would be left to her desolate. Probably stunned by that prophecy, the disciples called attention to the temple mount and all the structures on it, noting how long it took to build and all the careful effort taken to ensure it would always remain standing.

Jesus, knowing the future, may have said, “Yes, I have seen them. But what you see is not what I see. Take a careful look!” This is all speculation, but it probably gets the sense of what transpired between them. With Jesus having called their attention to the scene, He next says, “Amen, I say to you, no not it may be left here, stone upon stone.”

Jesus speaks of the event as certain. Not only will the temple be destroyed, but there will not be a single stone left to indicate it was ever there. Of this, Albert Barnes gives a thorough description, saying –

“After the city was taken, Josephus says that Titus ‘gave orders that they should now “demolish the whole city and temple,” except three towers, which he reserved standing. But for the rest of the wall, it was laid so completely even with the ground by those who “dug it up from the foundation,” that there was nothing left to make those believe who came hither that it had ever been inhabited.’ Maimonides, a Jewish writer, has also recorded that ‘Terentius Rufus, an officer in the army of Titus, with a plowshare tore up the foundations of the temple, that the prophecy might be fulfilled, “Zion shall be plowed as a field,”’ Micah 3:12. This was all done by the direction of divine Providence. Titus was desirous of preserving the temple, and frequently sent Josephus to the Jews to induce them to surrender and save the temple and city. But the prediction of the Saviour had gone forth, and, notwithstanding the wish of the Roman general, the temple was to be destroyed. The Jews themselves first set fire to the porticoes of the temple. One of the Roman soldiers, without any command, threw a burning firebrand into the golden window, and soon the temple was in flames. Titus gave orders to extinguish the fire; but, amid the tumult, none of the orders were obeyed. The soldiers pressed to the temple, and neither fear nor entreaties, nor stripes could restrain them. Their hatred of the Jews urged them on to the work of destruction, and thus, says Josephus, the temple was burned against the will of Caesar. – Jewish Wars, b. 6 chapter 4, section 5-7.”

The words of Jesus were validated. Jesus had said that the sign of Jonah would be given for the people to understand. Jonah’s words to Nineveh were, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.” In the standard biblical pattern, a day for a year, Jerusalem (which Nineveh pictured) was destroyed forty years later. So complete was the destruction that Jesus said concerning every one of the stones, “which not it will be collapsed.”

Just as He spoke, so it came to pass. They plowed the temple mount like a field. Any visitor would see just a barren base, as if waiting for someone to come and erect a building on it, not realizing one once stood there.

Life application: Jesus proclaimed what would occur, even telling the people when it would take place. To the minutest detail, His words were validated. And yet, to this day, He is dismissed by the nation of Israel. His name is normally not spoken, except in a derogatory manner. His memory among the nation is like that of a person who is a leprous outcast.

Imagine it! God Himself came to His own people in the Person of Jesus. He perfectly fulfilled every prophecy spoken in anticipation of His coming. And more, no other person since then could fulfill the prophecies. And so either Jesus is who He claimed to be, or the Bible is not the word of God.

Despite all of the evidence to validate who Jesus is, He is utterly rejected by them. And now, after two thousand years, the church itself is turning away from Him in an immense way. There are still many faithful believers around the world. But the large denominations that have carried the message of Jesus are scorning Him and biblical doctrine more each day.

The world is ripe for judgment. When will that day be? We have to wait and see. But until it comes, we should carefully guard the faith, passing it to others and constantly fixing our eyes on the Lord so that we don’t get pulled away from soundness of faith.

Jesus! Let us focus our lives each day on the One who has come, prevailed over sin and death, and who promises to bring us home someday. May we be willing to share the good news with those around us. There is hope in Jesus. Without Him, there is only a temporary life of futility followed by an eternity of separation from God. Jesus! Let us focus on Jesus.

Lord God, there is nothing surer than the words of Scripture that tell us of the coming of Jesus. Every prophecy finds its fulfillment in Him. Every word is given to assure us that in finding Jesus, we have found the One the Bible proclaims. Help us to get the good news out to the world that Jesus has come and that in Him, there is salvation. Hallelujah for Jesus! Amen.

Thursday, 5 November 2026

Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. Matthew 24:1

Note: You can listen to today’s commentary courtesy of our friends at the “Bible in Ten” podcast. (Click Here to listen).

You can also read this commentary, scrolling with music, courtesy of our friends at “Discern the Bible” on YouTube. (Click Here to listen), or at Rumble (Click Here to listen).

“And having departed, the ‘Jesus’, He traversed from the temple, and they approached, the ‘disciples, His’, to exhibit to Him the ‘buildings, the temple’.” (CG)

In the previous verse, Jesus finished Chapter 23 with His warning to Jerusalem that they would not see Him again until they should speak, “Having been blessed, the ‘Coming in Name, Lord’.” Chapter 24, a chapter filled with prophecies concerning Israel’s future, begins with, “And having departed, the ‘Jesus’, He traversed from the temple.”

Matthew records this as a point of reference. Jesus had been at the temple. He pronounced woes upon Israel’s spiritual leadership and told the city (meaning its leaders) they would see Him no more until they acknowledged Him as the Christ, coming in the Name of the Lord.

In stating that He has traversed from the temple, it means He will not return there again without that condition being met. While traversing from there, it next says, “and they approached, the ‘disciples, His’, to exhibit to Him the ‘buildings, the temple’.”

A new word is seen here, oikodomé, architecture, but concretely, a structure. It is also used figuratively, such as building one up, as in edification. It is from oikos, a dwelling and usually translated as house or home, and the base of the word dóma, an edifice, but especially a housetop.

Jesus had just proclaimed to Jerusalem that her house was left to her desolate. The disciples understood the meaning of this, having had their first temple, meaning Solomon’s temple, destroyed by the Babylonians. This temple, built by Herod, had been under construction for forty-six years, as noted in John 2:20.

The temple and its complex were massive, beautifully ordained, and built upon a structure that covered an entire mountain (Mount Moriah). Walking from the temple to their next destination at the Mount of Olives, the temple is in open view. Considering it, the disciples surely questioned how something so grand and magnificent could be made desolate.

The amazing size of the stones alone would make this seem impossible. The foundation stones were absolutely enormous. Its largest known stone today is called the Great Stone. It is located underground in the tunnels under the Western Wall. Though probably not visible at the time, it would be known about, being one of the largest single building blocks ever used in human history.

It is over 44 feet long, has a height reaching twelve feet, and is estimated to be between six and fifteen feet thick. Though unknown, its weight is estimated to be between 285 and 570 tons. Its placement would have been the stuff of legends, and anyone there during the construction would still speak about it.

Other massive stones like this were used as described by Josephus. Barnes, citing this, says, “‘In that temple,’ says Josephus, the Jewish historian, ‘were several stones which were 45 cubits in length, 5 in height, and 6 in breadth;’ that is, more than 70 feet long, 10 wide, and 8 high. These stones, of such enormous size, were principally used in building the high wall on the east side, from the base to the top of the mountain. They were also, it is said, beautifully painted with variegated colors.”

With this in mind, the disciples surely could not fathom how such an edifice atop such a massive foundation could be laid waste.

Life application: Man has accomplished many great things throughout the centuries. Massive complexes of stone have been discovered that formed enormous cities. However, within a short amount of time, the archaeological record shows that they were abandoned.

Skyscrapers are constructed, and it seems like they will last forever. And yet, within a short span, they become obsolete and must be taken down. Others may come down because Islamic terrorists fly planes into them. The great achievements of man don’t seem so great at such times.

Some people build empires worth amazing amounts of money. Solomon is often referred to as the richest man who ever lived. He controlled an empire that stretched from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines (1 Kings 4:21). And yet, it was divided during the lifetime of his son, and the wealth of the empire quickly faded into the past.

Those things that seem like they will last forever can be gone in a moment. Empires fade away, riches disappear through a single bad decision, and the effort of a lifetime can be erased by a single earthquake or tsunami.

Despite this, humanity can’t seem to learn the lesson the Bible teaches us. Everything will pass away, but the word of the Lord will stand forever. For those who put their trust in Jesus, we have a permanent foundation that can never be shaken. How much better it is to trust in Jesus than in anything this world can offer.

We are young one moment, and our lives are ending in the next. It is as if a few breaths were taken and we are planning for our funerals. Keep Jesus in your mind and heart always. Fix your eyes on Him, and don’t be pulled away from faithful devotion to Him. This will last forever.

Lord God, may we carefully consider our days, knowing that they are few and evil. Everything we work for will be left to others. Help us to leave a good mark on the world we live in through our devotion to You. May we speak about You, sharing the good news of Jesus Christ. Truly, this is something that will outlast even the mountains. Help us to be wise in this way. Amen.