Bereansearching's Blog

The Parable of the “Good Samaritan” (Painting by Rembrandt, 1638, public domain)

While not often stated as such, Jesus’s account of the Samaritan man saving the man who had been attacked by thieves is nonetheless correctly identified as one of Jesus’s parables. The account was presented by Jesus as an “earthly story“, but it contains, and was intended to convey, a “heavenly (spiritual) meaning“.  

Remember what Jesus said in John 3:12, “If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how shall ye believe, if I tell you [of] heavenly things?“

The Parable of the Good Samaritan is one of 18 “parables”, spoken by Jesus, which are unique to Luke, of a total of about 42-46 parables (depending on how one defines an individual “parable”) that are found in the whole of the first three of the four Gospels in the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke). Jesus’ parables are not necessarily factual accounts, nor do  they have to be factual/historical, because the spiritual lessons are still true and valid regardless.  They are not to be confused with “historical parables” that are found in the Bible, which are all unequivocally true, factual, historical accounts (like the Jonah account in the Old Testament) that, nonetheless, convey spiritual lessons in the same way as Jesus’ parables in the New Testament do.  Moreover, “historical parables” are found in the New Testament accounts, as well as the Old Testament ones.  For example: Paul’s shipwreck, and all 276 “souls” (Acts 27:37) making it safe to the Island of Melita (“Honey”) is a picture of the destruction of the corporate church in the tempest of the Final Tribulation, whereby, all the souls within it, who are destined to be saved, nonetheless, make it safely to Heaven.

However, the reader must also be made aware that Jesus’ “parables” are the ones so designated by general agreement among theologians and Biblical scholars/academics and yes, they are indeed parables.  However, those parables are still only the more “obvious” ones.  The fact is that, according to the Bible, Jesus ONLY spoke to the multitudes in parables, as we read in both Matthew 13:34, “All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them:” and Mark 4:34 , “But without a parable spake he not unto them: and when they were alone, he expounded all things to his disciples.”  The point being that, when Jesus spoke, then the “plain” earthly meaning was insufficient to understand the spiritual or heavenly meaning by the vast majority of his hearers who were not to be counted among God’s Elect. What Jesus said was effectively given in the form of a riddle, and therefore had a “hidden” meaning. The exposition of the Bible’s parables comes from God Alone, and through His Holy Spirit Alone, and not from the wisdom of men.  And even when Jesus expounds to everyone the meanings of some of His parables as provided to us in the Bible what is the heavenly/spiritual meaning (provided in a seemingly plainly understood way), the non-elect will still not perceive or understand with their hearts.  The proof can be found here: Matthew 13:14, Mark 4:12, and Acts 28:26.

Let’s take a look at the parable of the “Good Samaritan” as it is recorded for us in the Bible (KJV) in Luke 10:25-37:

“And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?

And Jesus answering said,

A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.

Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.”

What Does This Parable Really Mean?

The Context and Setting are Critical to the Understanding

The parable of the Good Samaritan begins within the context of a “certain lawyer” who asks Jesus a question, which the Bible identifies as “tempting” Jesus.  That is not a “good” thing for him to have done. And the question was, “Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” 

The word “inherit” is translated from the Greek word, κληρονομέω (klēronomeō)^G2816 , which does mean “inherit” and is the same as the way it is used by the rich young ruler in Luke 18:18.  But is also means “one who receives by lot, an heir”and would seem to indicated that it is something expected by right of inheritance. Nonetheless we know that there is an inheritance to come for the believers, we read in Romans 8:14-17, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.”

The “certain lawyer” was clearly someone who “knew” the law of Moses and replied to Jesus with this answer “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.”  Jesus said to him in response, “Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.” But then the certain lawyer responded thusly,  “willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?”  

Note that the lawyer wanted to know what he must do to “inherit” eternal life.  A couple of points need to be made here.  The lawyer was focused on “works of the law”.  He also mentioned “inherit”, which is strange because an inheritance is not obtained by the will or work of the person who receives it, but rather it is a gift bequeathed by someone else who dies.  So Jesus essentially was telling the lawyer, if you keep the law perfectly, then you will have eternal life.  We know that is impossible for anyone and everyone who is descended from Adam, apart from Jesus.  Jesus tells us in Matthew 5:48 “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” (There is more from Matthew chapter 5 below.) But no one can be “perfect” apart from salvation by Grace through Faith by Jesus Christ Alone!

And is not this reminiscent of another man skilled in the law, Paul, who when he was still “Saul”, as Paul recounts in Acts 22:3, said, “I am verily a man [which am] a Jew, born in Tarsus, [a city] in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, [and] taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous toward God, as ye all are this day.” Saul thought he was doing just fine, and was justified by the keeping of law before God.  God soon showed him that he was wrong.

Moreover, regarding the word “inherit”, 1Corinthians 6:9-11 tells us, “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.“

But when the lawyer asked “who is my neighbor?“, then Jesus answered with the subsequent presentation of the “Good Samaritan” parable.

Who is The Certain Man? Who are the Thieves? What Else Is Being Told to Us?

1) The Certain Man Who Was Wounded, Robbed and Left Naked and Half Dead

The parable of the Good Samaritan begins in Luke 10:30 where “¶ And Jesus answering said, A certain [man] went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded [him], and departed, leaving [him] half dead.”

From Jerusalem to Jericho

If we look closely at the account, we see that the man is not specifically identified, but he is called only a “certain man” much like the lawyer was described as a “certain lawyer” or the Samaritan was a “certain Samaritan.”  We know also that he was jouneying “down” from Jerusalem to Jericho. Jerusalem is a holy city in the hills of Judea, while Jericho (“the city of palm trees” according to Deuteronomy 34:3) was a cursed city down in the plain along the river Jordan according to Joshua 6:26.

Relatively speaking, Jerusalem (meaning “foundation of Peace”) is located in the highlands of Judah, while Jericho below Jerusalem down in the Jordan valley.  This man’s journey must therefore also be representative of the fall of Adam, in that he went from the city of peace with God to a city that was cursed by God in Joshua 6:26.

Because a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning, we must therefore seek to know who does the certain man who was attacked represent?, who are the thieves?, why was he going from Jerusalem to Jericho?, etc.  This account, in just one sentence is providing us in allegorical types information that is entirely consistent with what the Bible makes clear to us going back to Genesis.  

The Certain Man is Adam (Representing All of Mankind)

The certain man is a “Type” for Adam, and hence all mankind descended from him.  The first reference to “man” in the Bible is in Genesis 1:26,  “And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” God gave dominion over creation to the first man, Adam. But due to the devil and his lies, Adam lost his dominion over the earth to the devil, and Adam became naked in his sin, and he was wounded in the process in that he would surely die as a result of that sin.

We have learned that the certain man is robbed by thieves, stripped of his raiment (left naked), was wounded and left “half dead.” Let’s pause a moment to contemplate what transpired within this parable.  In the earthly story, the certain man is going from a holy city “down” to a cursed city, also known as the city of “palm trees”. Regardless of the spritual implications that this might suggest by itself, we do know that the certain man was attacked with the result that he was stripped of his raiment and belongings, was wounded, and left naked and “half dead”.    

1. “Stripped of His Raiment” Before the Fall of Adam, there was no sin and no need of a covering for Adam’s or Eve’s nakedness.  However, once Adam and Eve sinned against God, their eyes were opened and they saw that they had no covering for their nakedness.  Adam was stripped of his raiment by the devil. Adam was also robbed of his home in Eden and once Adam and Eve were then made aware of that nakedness, they sought to cover their nakedness with their own useless works by creating aprons of sewn fig leaves.   Which, by the way, God made clear to them was unsatisfactory for them to come into His presence, so God clothed them in animal skins…which pointed to the need of a Savior, Jesus Christ, because an animal had to die (Jesus is the Lamb of God), and blood had to be shed. to cover their nakedness (Jesus had to die and by His shed blood we are healed from our sins) and God had to kill the animal (Jesus Atoning Sacrifice) and God had to be the One to clothe them (the believers are clothed in the robes of Jesus Christ’s Righteousness). 
2. “Was  Wounded”  Just as the certain man was wounded, so too was Adam permanently wounded by the devil when Adam sinned in violating God’s commandment, and thus condemned Adam and all of his seed to eternal death.
3. “Half Dead”?   Have you ever seen anyone “half dead”?  We are either alive or dead.   So what does “half dead” mean from a spiritual perspective? When Adam sinned against God, he immediately “spiritually” died, yet he remained “physically” alive.  Adam, after the fall, was not only found to be naked in his sins and was effectively “wounded” in that Adam’s body began to decay and he would eventually physically die hundreds of years later, but most importantly, Adam became “spiritually dead” and therefore was correctly diagnosed by Jesus as being “half dead”.

This parable account is representative of the Fall of Adam (and hence all of humankind who are descended from Adam).  The devil (who is “the original thief”, see below) attacked Adam with a lie that led to his becoming naked before God and dead in his sin as a result.  While Adam did not immediately die physically, nonetheless, both Adam and all of his descendents died spiritually at that moment, and were destined to an eternal death in hell.  And God had specifically warned in Genesis 2:17, “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.” It is clear that Adam and Eve did not die physically in the day that they ate of the fruit of the tree, but they most certainly did die spiritually speaking.  Hence it would not be inaccurate to say that they had become “half dead.”  

Note also that God provides us with additional corroboration for this point, in that, in the original Hebrew, the words that are translated into English as “surely^H4191 die^H4191” actually read in the original Hebrew, מוּת (mûṯ) ^H4191 which means “die”, but it is repeated twice, and therefore should actually be read as “dying die”.  This is therefore also consistent with the concept of double death (spiritual and physical) and that those who are still unsaved, but are still physically alive, are in fact “half dead”.

2) The Thieves Represent the Devil

How do we know that the thieves represent the devil?  It is because the Bible tells us so in John 10:1-10 beginning with,  “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber.” and ending with John 10:10, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have [it] more abundantly.” We should also remember that those who teach another way to Heaven, other than Jesus, are thieves an robbers. (And Jesus is “The Door” of the sheepfold as we read in John 10:7, “¶Then said Jesus unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep.“) And John 12:6 tells us regarding Judas Iscariot, in whom the devil dwelt, was a thief, “This he said, not that he cared for the poor; but because he was a thief, and had the bag, and bare what was put therein.” Also in Hebrews 2:14, We see where Jesus conquers the devil, who had the power of death. “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he (referring to Jesus) also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he (Jesus) might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil;”  By the devil’s getting Adam to sin, the devil robbed Adam of his dominion and killed Adam in the process, and thereby the earth, and all of its inhabitants, became the devil’s realm. But we know from 1 Corinthians 15:22 (and1 Corinthians 15:47-49), that Jesus (the Good Samaritan) is the second Adam, Who Alone can bring the believers to eternal life! 

And is it not interesting when speaking about “robbery” we read in Philippians 2:5&6, “¶Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God:”  Jesus, as God, was equal with God and was not a “robber”, but the devil, who sought to equal with God, means that the devil was, in fact, committing “robbery” and therefore “a thief”, as we read in Isa 14:14, &15, “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.“

3) The Priest and the Levite Passed by on the “Other Side”

These two men, who were both outwardly religious, had no compassion for their fellow man, and are representative of those who read about in 2 Timothy 3:5, “Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof:”   They are like scribes and Pharisees to whom Jesus said in Matthew 23:27, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead [men’s] bones, and of all uncleanness.”  Hence, those Pharisees, to whom Jesus spoke against, were “half dead” themselves. They were focusing on the Old Testament Law for righteousness and to save them give them eternal life.  They did not understand God’s Grace through Faith as found in the New Testament, as such as should have been given to the half-dead stranger (and which was taught in the Old Testament, but they did not understand that, e.g., Psalm 146:9 “The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.“).  Remember that we are taught in Galatians 3:10-14, “¶ For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them. But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, [it is] evident: for, The just shall live by faith And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them. ¶Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed [is] every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.“

It is also interesting to consider that in the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31), we see that there is a great gulf between the two men, across which no man can pass (Luke 16:26).  Once the Priest and the Levite pass by on the other side following the works of the law, they will not be justified.  Moreover, the Priest and the Levite passed by on the “other side”, the Old Testament side… of the Cross!

4) Jesus Christ is the Good Samaritan!

The Samaritan Provided Assistance to the Wounded Man

In Luke 10:33, we read next, “But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion [on him],”

What is a Samaritan? A Samaritan in the Bible was a person from Samaria, a region north of Jerusalem. In Jesus’ day, the Jewish people of Galilee and Judea shunned the Samaritans, viewing them as a mixed race who practiced an impure, half-pagan religion. Samaritans, as a people distinct from the Jews, are first mentioned in the Bible during the time of Nehemiah and the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity (Ezra 4:17). Evidently, the Samaritans saw themselves as the true descendants of Israel, coming from the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh, the two-half tribes from the two sons of Joseph in Egypt. It has also been claimed that The historian Josephus and Jewish tradition trace the origin of the Samaritans to captivity of Israel’s northern kingdom of ten tribes under Assyria in 721 BC, Jews of the northern kingdom intermarried with Assyrians after the captivity and produced the half-Jewish, half-Gentile Samaritan race.

When the Jews accused Jesus of being a “Samaritan”, they were suggesting that He was a “half-breed” (perhaps because he was known to be from Nazareth, which is in the land given to the tribe of Zebulon, which is associated with the Gentiles and Galilee*), and therefore born of an “unfaithful mother”, and moreover they claimed that Jesus “hast a devil“.  We read this in John 8:47-49, which tells us where Jesus said, ^“He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God. Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil? Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honour my Father, and ye do dishonour me.” So then, Jesus was accused of being “a Samaritan”, and because He is God in the Flesh, this is another reason that we can view Jesus as the “Good Samaritan”. And as the “Good Samaritan”, Jesus can be viewed as both the “Healer” and “Savior” of the whole world, coming from both “Jew and Gentile”.

In the lawyer’s eyes, the Samaritan was the least likely candidate to act lovingly and compassionately to his neighbor. Jesus is the “stone of stumbling” and the “rock of offense.” (see 1 Peter 2:8 and Isaiah 8:14)

It is also interesting to note that technically, Jesus could indeed be likened to a “half breed”, because Jesus was both fully God and fully man. This is sometimes referred to as the hypostatic union, a term used to describe how God the Son, Jesus Christ, took on a human nature, yet remained fully God at the same time. Jesus always had been God (John 8:58, John 10:30), but at the incarnation, Jesus became a human being (John 1:14). The addition of the human nature to the Divine Nature is Jesus, the God-man. 

*Isaiah 9:1 “¶Nevertheless the dimness [shall] not [be] such as [was] in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, and afterward did more grievously afflict [her by] the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations.” and in Matthew 4:15 “The land of Zabulon, and the land of Nephthalim, [by] the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;”  

In New Testament times, the Jews despised Samaritans and would have nothing to do with them. The Samaritans were still living primarily around Mount Gerizim (see map) (John 4:1–42) which was within the land given by lot in Joshua’s day to the two half-tribes of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh  (Jos 16:1), located north of Jerusalem and which included Jericho and essentially went from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea and northward to the valley of Megiddo at the border of Asher, Zebulon, and Issachar.  But the Samaritans also kept to their own villages (Matthew 10:5, Luke 9:52). Scripture mentions encounters with Samaritans in towns within Samaria because Jesus had to travel through Samaria to get to Jerusalem from Galilee (Luke 17:11–19 and Luke 9:52&53), and they evidently also traveled on roads between Jerusalem and Jericho as is indicated by Jesus in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37). 

Jesus met with some adversity when ministering to people in Samaritan villages (Luke 9:52&53) and initially told His disciples not to enter them (Matthew 10:5–6), because the Gospel had to first to be preached “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel“. Nonetheless, Jesus shared the “Good News” with the Samaritans, most notably when ministering to a Samaritan woman at the well (John 4:4–26) and healing a Samaritan leper (Luke 17:11–19).

Moreover, we know that in Acts 1:8, Jesus told His disciples that, once under the power of the Holy Spirit (which would come to the disciples at Jerusalem at Pentecost), they would be His witnesses in Samaria after Jerusalem and Judea and then on to the entire earth. “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

In Acts chapter 8, that prophecy was fulfilled, and Samaria became an early mission field for the spreading first-century church: for in Acts 8:4 -8, we read, ” ¶Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word. Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did. For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed [with them]: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed. And there was great joy in that city.“

5) Binding Up The Wounds, Pouring in Oil and Wine

Next in Luke 10:34 we read, “And went to [him], and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him.“

To the casual reader, it is easy to misconstrue what is taking place.  In looking at only the “plain sense”, it could be readily interpreted that the Samaritan, when pouring in the olive oil in the wounds, was intending for it to serve as some type of healing balm or ointment (something like Omega-3 oil), while pouring in the wine on the wounds, was simply an effort to apply an antiseptic and astringent from that day, within which he would wrap up the wounds up in bandages.  However, this is NOT what is the intent of this parable from a spiritual perspective!

The meaning of the words “oil” and “wine” in the Bible have deep spiritual meaning.  Only Jesus, as represented by the Samaritan Is The Only One Who can spiritually bind up our sin caused wounds.  Jesus is is the Only One Who can anoint the believer with the olive oil (representing the Holy Spirit of God) and Who can spiritually pour in the wine (representing His shed Blood) .

5A) The Oil (of the Olive) Spiritually Represents The Holy Spirit

In Psalm 23:5, we read, “… thou anointest my head with oil; …“. In Psalm 133:1-3 “¶[[A Song of degrees of David.]] Behold, how good and how pleasant [it is] for brethren to dwell together in unity! [It is] like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, [even] Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments; As the dew of Hermon, [and as the dew] that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, [even] life for evermore.” The anointing with oil, as was used in the anointing of kings and the high priests, was a sign of the empowerment, blessing, calling out, or choosing by God.  It is sign representing sanctification by the Holy Spirit.

To make this even more clear, we have these verses found in Zechariah 4:1-6,  describing the golden lamp stand and the olive trees that provide the oil for the light of the lamps. “¶And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, And said unto me, What seest thou? And I said, I have looked, and behold a candlestick all [of] gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: And two olive trees by it, one upon the right [side] of the bowl, and the other upon the left [side] thereof. So I answered and spake to the angel that talked with me, saying, What [are] these, my lord? ¶Then the angel that talked with me answered and saidunto me, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. ¶Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This [is] the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.“

Jesus prayed for His Own to the Father (Please read all of John, Chapter 17). And Jesus, before He ascended, said that He would petition the Father to send the Comforter (the Holy Spirit), the Spirit of Truth, Who is the One Who Takes Care of, and intercedes on behalf of the Believers until Jesus’s Triumphant Return on the Clouds of Glory. This we read in John 14:16-17, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.” and in John 14:26, “But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”  and in John 15:26, “But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:” and John 16:7, “Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.”

And just as we saw earlier…and we need to bring it back to mind here… in 1 Corinthians 6:11we see a direct reference to these two elements, “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.” The believers are “washed” and “sanctified” and “justified” “in the name of Jesus” (through His shed blood) “and by the Spirit of our God” (represented by the anointing oil).

5B) The Wine Spiritually Represents the Atoning Shed Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ

Jesus Himself made clear the connection, and spiritual meaning of wine (which can be drunk of “the fruit of the vine”), to His Blood at the “Last Supper.” We read in Matthew 26:27-29, ¶And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave [it] to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.“

Other verses speak plainly of the Blood of Jesus as the means for “washing” and “healing” the believers from their sins, but note in particular the phraseology of the following verses:

1 Peter 2:24 makes clear our need for Jesus as our Atoning sacrifice to make possible our salvation and eternal life in Heaven with Him.  “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.“

Other References

It is also noteworthy that in Hosea 2:21-23,  we read,  “And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth; And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel. And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to [them which were] not my people, Thou [art] my people; and they shall say, [Thou art] my God.“

The Word of God, the Bible, emphatically tells us that Jesus Is the Word made flesh John 1:14, Is the Bread of Life John 6:35,… so then 

1) Jesus’s Body is represented by the corn,

2) Jesus’s Blood is represented by the wine, and

3) The Holy Spirit of Truth is represented by the (olive) oil.  They All speak to us from the Bible, and those on earth to whom God gives the “hearing ears” Proverbs 20:12 will “hear” what They are saying through and from the Bible.

Remember when Jesus gave His testimony to be passed to John the Baptist in response to the question as to whether Jesus was the Messiah or not?, “Luke 7:22, “Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.” and later in Acts 3:1-26, we read where Peter healed the lame man seeking alms to whom Peter said, “Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God:” Again in Acts 8:7 we read the account of the disciples healing infirmities that include lameness, “For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.”

The multiple healings took place by the intercession of Jesus and His testimony ended with the statement that “to the poor the gospel is preached.” That is the only way that spiritual healing is possible. The Gospel of Salvation through Jesus Christ, Alone, must be preached!  There is NO other way!

Putting him on “his own beast”

While this point is not entirely clear, we at least know that Jesus came into Jerusalem (on Palm Sunday) riding on a beast, per se, in fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9 “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he [is] just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.“

Although it is not entirely clear what the inn spiritually represents, it is clear that it was a safe haven, an inn of respite.  However, we also know that in the Greek the word for “inn” is πανδοχεῖον (pandocheion), ^G3829, which in fact, does mean “an inn, a public house for the reception of strangers.” So then, it is therefore not unreasonable to say that the inn could be a spiritual representation of the church that welcomes in “strangers” because of what we find in Ephesians 2:19, “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief cornerstone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”  It is also notable that the Good Samaritan left the inn, but said that he would return.  Jesus is in Heaven until His return on Judgment Day, so we can also see that the inn cannot be representative of Heaven in this parable.

Taking Care of the Wounded Man

We know from the Bible that Jesus cares for us. 1 Peter 5:7 “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” Moreover, Jesus said in John 10:11-13, “I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep. The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.”

Jesus is the one who cares for us and pays the full price to ensure our complete healing from the sin-caused, otherwise fatal, wounds, and Jesus Alone ensures that we continue to be fed with the Bread of Life. 

6) Jesus Paid the Full Price for the Sinners He Saves

Jesus is Coming Back Again!

We cannot, and should not, miss the point that the Good Samaritan said that he would return. He specifically said to the innkeeper, “when I come again, I will repay thee.” That is most significant, because Jesus is indeed coming back, and He will repay indeed. For the Believer, Jesus will have repaid the full price for the sins of His Elect .  But we should also remember that when Jesus comes back the next, and Final time, that he will most certainly repay the wages for sin (eternal death) to the ungodly of the world with a vengeance. Romans 12:19 “Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but [rather] give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance [is] mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.“

7) Who Is Our Neighbor?

Jesus makes clear that everyone is our neighbor, regardless of cultural heritage, nationality, or social, economic, or educational status. Everyone in the world needs to hear the Gospel of Salvation through Jesus Christ.  Moreover, Jesus goes further because He went further to save sinners, His natural enemies.  We read in Matthew 5:43-48 ¶”Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more [than others]? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.“

CONCLUSION

The conclusion of the matter is that all believing Christians must show compassion to their fellow man, their neighbors, their brothers and sisters, by preaching the Gospel of Salvation through Jesus Christ Alone.  To have “compassion”, is to desire the very best possible for someone in need, which is that our fellow man might be saved from death in hell, and to have eternal life in Heaven with Jesus.  In order for anyone to become saved, they must hear the Gospel… the Word of God must be preached!  Remember that Jesus’ last words on this earth just prior to His ascension, He commanded that the Words, which He had spoken, must be preached to the “uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8). And remember also, that Jesus said in John 6:63, “It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, [they] are spirit, and [they] are life.”  And remember also that Jesus said in John 6:53&54, “Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” 

To be “quickened” is to be made alive.  

1. The Holy Spirit  (represented by the oil), Is what raises the believers from the dead, and The Holy Spirit does that through the preaching of the Word of God (Jesus Is the Word and Is also God John 1:1).
2. The Atoning Shed Blood of Jesus Christ (represented by the wine) gives the believers eternal life. We know this because, according to Leviticus 17:11 (as well as other passages going back to Genesis 9:4) “For the life of the flesh [is] in the blood:” Remembering also that John 1:14 tells us, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.“

Postscript:

This author cannot claim to be the only one who sees the parable from an allegorical perspective, as (according to Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_Good_Samaritan) it had been noted as early as the 5th Century by Origen who described the allegory in similar, albeit in somewhat different (not identical) terms.

One of the more common questions related to the Bible is the subject of the end times, or when will be the end of the world (Judgment Day and the separation between those going tho Heaven or Hell) according to the Bible? (the study of which is also known more formally as Eschatology). While the Bible does make it clear that no one can know the day or the hour of the end of time, because Jesus plainly stated in Matthew 24:36, “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” … and in Mark 13:32, “But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father.”

Nonetheless, there are quite a few signs described in the Bible whereby we can at least discern an approximation that the end of the world could be very near, and what we could expect leading up to that point and beyond.  But where does the Bible provide such information regarding the end of time?

Timing Indicators: The “Little Season”

Anyone who is a student of the Bible should know that Jesus Christ bound the devil when Jesus died on the cross and had fully paid for the sins of God’s elect as proven by His resurrection. Jesus, when speaking of the kingdom of the devil, in Matthew 12:29, told the Pharisees, “Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.” With the devil bound, the gospel would be preached to all the nations of the world and the church would be built over the figurative 1000 years (not literal) of the New Testament era.  However, it did not mean that sin would stop, because man by nature remains sinful in this mortal life.  Moreover, Jesus said, “…I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” God would plunder the prison house of the devil and set the captives free…the believers, the elect, who God chose from before the foundations of the world.  For more on how Jesus led “Captivity Captive”, please see: the Judges Chapter 5 section of this study: https://bereansearching.com/2009/09/19/the-battle-of-armageddon-the-earthly-version-already-happened/ Moreover, even in that bound state, the devil has had a continuous influence during that period, given that we are told in Ephesians 6:11-13. “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”

Specifically, in Revelation Chapter 20, we also read, “And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.”  We can both see and learn that must be a part of God’s Magnificent Salvation Plan that He would let the devil loose for “a little season.” This raises a number of questions…Why? When? How Long? And What then?

Why?

This is perhaps the most difficult question to answer, but the Bible does offer the following as a basis for deriving an explanation.  In Romans 1:18-25 we are warned, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.” There is going to be a period of time when God will give up mankind to its sins and let the devil have his way. There will be a period of time when the so-called “cup of iniquity” will be filled.

Historical precedents

Jesus warned in Luke 17, 26-29, regarding the examples of the days of Noah before the Flood and the days of Lot before Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, “And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.”

In Jude 5-21, we read, “I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities. Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee. But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves. Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core. These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots; Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever. And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him. These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men’s persons in admiration because of advantage. But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ; How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts. These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit. But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

In 1 Corinthians 10:11, we read where Paul was warning the Church of Jesus Christ concerning how National Israel, while wandering in the wilderness, became apostate after escaping the bondage of Egypt and were subsequently severely punished by God, “Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.” So then, National Israel was a type or allegorical example to the Corporate Christian Church to instruct and admonish us not to become apostate (through and idolatry and spiritual fornication). The New Testament Church (upon whom the ends of the world would come) replaced the Old Testament Church (National Israel), but yet could still be subject to the same issues, temptations, and lusts, and therefore potentially subject to the same judgments and punishments from God. For more on how the Christian Church replaced National Israel, please see the commentary on Esther, who replaced Vashti as the Queen of Persia: https://bereansearching.com/2009/09/19/an-exposition-of-the-book-of-esther/

Signs of the Times

God makes it very clear that mankind (every man and woman) is composed entirely of only sinners by nature arising from the fall of Adam. We also know that if mankind is not restrained, through law enforcement, then the likelihood is that crime would increase. God makes it clear in the following passages that there must be the threat of punishment being applied when a law is broken or things will get worse. 

We know the following from Jeremiah 17:9, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?”  Of course we know that God knows it hence God warns in Ecclesiastes 8:11 we read, “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.”  Ezra 7:26 also tells us the following, “And whosoever will not do the law of thy God, and the law of the king, let judgment be executed speedily upon him, whether [it] be unto death, or to banishment, or to confiscation of goods, or to imprisonment.” And regarding the law enforcers, we read in Romans 13:3&4, “For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou do that which is evil, be afraid; for he beareth not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth evil.”  Policeman are armed to provide for a peaceful way of life for society which otherwise would only bring increasing crime, anarchy, mayhem, and death.  And the Bible states that unregenerate mankind, due to the original sin, by nature actually do love death. In Proverbs 8:36, God says, “But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.”

So what do we see today?  Do we see churches preaching the Word of God unto salvation through payment of sins by Jesus Christ? Do we see the churches taking a firm stand against the sins that are clearly enumerated in the Bible, or rather preaching that which is accommodating to the culture and whims of the world today?  What do you ever hear of Romans 1? Or of the ordinances for the roles of men and women in the church according to 1 Timothy?  If we see the churches under the umbrella of Christianity going apostate, should we really be at all surprised if we see God’s Hand of Judgment being brought to bear against those churches? Moreover, if the churches have gone apostate, so too is the society within which it is found. The church is ordained to be the vessel by which the Holy Word of God is preached, and if that church goes apostate, then the candle of Light will go out, and the society will be cast into darkness.  

The Church Is Becoming Increasingly Apostate

What do we see in our world today?  Do we see respect for the law and order as set forth by God in the Bible?  Or do we see mankind making up its own laws, and doing that which is right in its own eyes. Psalm 36, 1-4 says, “The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eye. For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful. The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good. He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.” Criminals are freed and law enforcement officers are vilified and condemned.  

Isaiah 59:4, “None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity.”

Jeremiah 9:3, “And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the Lord.”

Jeremiah 9:5, “And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.”

In John, 8:44, we read where Jesus was speaking to the leaders of National Israel, “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.” So if we are hearing more lies today, what is the source?  It would certainly seem that the devil has been loosed.

In 2 Timothy Chapter 3, verses 1-7, we read, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Finally, 2 Thessalonians chapter 2, verses 1-12, offers us some key insights concerning the loosing of the devil and the time it represents.   “Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and [by] our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth (constrain) [will let] (constrain), until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: [Even him], whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.”

So it may well be that we are seeing the loosing of the devil in our world today as a judgment against the corporate church for its apostasy (Romans Chapter 1 sheds some light here) and therefore is a judgment upon our country along with the entire world for turning away from the Almighty Creator God.  It would represent the penultimate judgment before the Final Judgment at Jesus’s Triumphant Return on Judgment Day. Again, please see: https://bereansearching.com/2009/09/19/the-battle-of-armageddon-the-earthly-version-already-happened/

When?

In Matthew 24, beginning at verse 3, we read, “And as he (Jesus) 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? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 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. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. 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. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 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.” Please also see the similar descriptions provided in Mark Chapter 7. 

In Luke 21:7-33, similar information is presented where we read, “And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass? And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake. And it shall turn to you for a testimony. Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. But there shall not an hair of your head perish. In your patience possess ye your souls. And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh.” (NOTE: Historically this happened in 70 A.D. to National Israel, but is also pointing to what is happening spiritually to the spiritual Israel (the corporate Christian church) in our day.)

“Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled.Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away.”(BTW: the fig tree has been described by others as a symbolic reference to National Israel which became a nation among nations again after nearly two millennia. And given that it became an official nation again in 1948, or 73 years ago, it could be viewed as being within a “generation” that encompasses our day. However, this is not to say that “this generation” could not also be a reference to this whole era of man leading up to Judgment Day, because Jesus said in Luke 11:29, “And when the people were gathered thick together, he began to say, This is an evil generation (γένος  “genea” in the original Greek manuscript): they seek a sign; and there shall no sign be given it, but the sign of Jonas the prophet.”) Note how this correlates with Phillipians 2:15, “That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation (more correctly translated as “generation”, γένος  “genea” in the original Greek manuscript), among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

The Great Tribulation is the “Little Season”

The Bible also tells us that just prior to the end will be a time of Great Tribulation as we read in verses 21 and 22, “For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”

And then we are told in verses 29-31, “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: 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 (Jesus Christ Himself) coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 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.”

How Long? God will cut the time short

While the length of time of the “little season” is not specified, Jesus gives us the assurance, in Matthew 24:22, that the world will not be completely destroyed and that not everyone would die before Judgment Day (via nuclear war, pandemics (pestilences), earthquakes, famines, climate change, or whatever) because: “And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” And it is repeated in Mark 13:20, “And except that the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh should be saved: but for the elect’s sake, whom he hath chosen, he hath shortened the days.”  This is also consistent with Apostle Paul’s Holy Spirit inspired statement in 1 Corinthians 15:51-53, “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep (die), but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

What then? The Coming of the Day of the Lord (JUDGMENT DAY)

And From 2 Peter Chapter 3 (please see the whole Chapter) we find that at Jesus’s coming, which will herald the Final Judgment Day, the elements shall melt with fervent heat and that there will be an entirely new creation… Verses 3-10, “Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”

Isaiah 34:4 “And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the [fig] tree.”

Isaiah 51:6 “Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look upon the earth beneath: for the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment, and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner: but my salvation shall be for ever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished.”

Revelation 6:14, “And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.”

Luke 21:28, “And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.”

Jesus made very clear in Matthew 24:35 that this creation is temporal, but He and His Word are eternal: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”

A New Heaven and Earth

2 Peter 2:11-13, “But the day of the Lord (Judgment Day) will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.”  Peter was aware of what God said by the prophet Isaiah, in Isaiah 65:17 “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” and Isaiah 66:22, “For as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, saith the Lord, so shall your seed and your name remain.”

What Should We Do Now?

Things certainly do not appear to be improving in the world, and for the most part, the world seems to have gone absolutely insane for reasons that are not obvious to any objective observer.  That is because the root cause is spiritual and not readily apparent to those who are trying to explain and or justify current events from a carnal perspective. The Bible offers us the very clear explanation, and predicts exactly what we are seeing in the world today, and what will be the final outcome.  In 2 Thessalonians 1:7-12 we are told, “And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day. Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power: That the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

Conclusion

Anyone is free to choose to either listen to, or ignore, the Truth as found in the Bible. One way or another, we will all have to come to the realization that all of creation and time and space is finite and will end at some point…and for any one individual that end will come at the point of physical death. But there is still the Judgment Day to come for sin!  However, while anyone remains physically alive in this temporal realm, there is still the hope and joy of knowing that we can have peace with God through Jesus Christ (alone) as The Sin Bearer and punished Substitute if we only cry out to God for mercy in Jesus’s Name before it is too late.  In order to stand in the presence of God, and to enter into the Temple of God not built with hands, we must be clothed in the robes of Jesus Christ’s Righteousness.

For the Believer, according to 2 Corinthians 5, 1-11, “For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven:If so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life.Now he that hath wrought us for the selfsame thing is God, who also hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord:(For we walk by faith, not by sight:) We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.”

Jesus warned of the coming Judgment Day and said the following in Luke 21. 34-36, “And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth. Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.”

Comfort for the Believer in the End Times

Despite the increasingly tribulous times that we now find ourselves living in, there remains the exquisite hope and comfort for all Believers. Romans, chapter 8, the entire chapter sums it all up. In this latter portion, verses 26-39, we read “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified. What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

POSTSCRIPT: Judgment Day is Coming Soon!

Throughout the ages, many people have claimed to know when Judgement Day, the end of the world, is about to happen.  Some will even erroneously claim to know, and then announce, exact dates for that day of destruction.  Whenever they do, whoever they are, they are all in complete contravention of the reality as spoken by Jesus in Matthew 24:36, “But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”

But is there at least a way that we might know approximately (e.g., the “Season”) when Judgment Day is coming, sooner than later?  Let us see what the Bible does reveal to us on this subject.  No matter what anyone has ever told you, or whatever you have believed, when Jesus comes back, it will be once and for all, and that will be “Judgment Day”, period! There will be NO carnal earthly reign on this sin-cursed earth for a thousand years (millennial era), but rather ETERNITY with our HOLY GOD!

In Matthew, Chapter 24, Jesus is very explicit. Please read this chapter very carefully, and do so while keeping in mind the other passages listed below.  However, note how in verse 14, we read, “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.”

Has that happened yet?  If the Gospel of Salvation through Jesus Christ has been preached throughout all the world, via missionaries, publications, the World Wide Web (the Internet), including through vehicles such as this Bereansearching blog…should we not expect that Judgment Day is very close?

And have not very explicitly enumerated sins become public and in plain sight of all in defiance of God? We therefore have to be VERY close to a time when the so-called “cup of iniquity” (idolatry and immorality) will become full (patterned after what we read about the 400 year/four generations sojourn of Israel in bondage in Egypt and the subsequent fate of the Amorites in Genesis 15:13-16, “And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land [that is] not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance.  And thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites [is] not yet full.“)

“2 Thessalonians 1:3-10, “We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: [Which is] a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that ye may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which ye also suffer: Seeing [it is] a righteous thing with God to recompense tribulation to them that trouble you; And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord JesusChrist: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day“.