THE WORDS OF JESUS
Creative, Causative, Prophetic, Instructional – Part 63
“You will see the Son of Man.”
“But Jesus remained silent. And the high priest said to him, “I adjure you by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”
Jesus said to him, “You have said so. But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has uttered blasphemy. What further witnesses do we need? You have now heard his blasphemy. What is your judgment?” They answered, “He deserves death.” Then they spit in his face and struck him. And some slapped him, saying, “Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who is it that struck you?”
The Words of Jesus, Matthew 26:63-68.
The challenge by the high-minded high priest, made blindly and carelessly in the name of ‘the living God, is for Jesus to tell him if Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God!
Jesus, as only He can do, cuts straight to the point and says “you have said so”, entrapping the high priest by his own words. Although he may have said the right words, it is only by chance, and he is completely ignorant of the truth in what he has just said.
Jesus, next make this prophetic statement and literally sets His Royal Seal on these remarks by announcing the coming 6th Seal of the Great Tribulation period, ”But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”
Jesus is warning this high priest and all people of the coming judgment. He is repeating to the high priest what He has already revealed to His disciples, “The powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.” (Read Matthew 24:29-31 for the entire answer.)
These Jews did not believe Him, although they had the prophecies in their Torah. They accused Jesus of blasphemy, said He deserved death for His words. They spit in his face and struck him. Some slapped him, mocking His Prophecy, and mocking Him as the Christ.
There are those in our day who deny a literal tribulation period and a literal 7 years of a Great Tribulation Judgment (also known as Daniel’s 70th Week, or The Great and Terrible Day of the Lord). They also deny a literal rapture of the Church, in spite of Jesus plain warnings.
A recent survey shows the majority of evangelical Christian leaders worldwide, believe in the Rapture, the teaching that as the end of the world draws near, Christians will be instantly taken up to heaven, leaving non-believers behind to suffer on earth. Six in 10 evangelical leaders, or 61 percent, say they believe in the Rapture of the Church.
However, only around 40 percent of the people calling themselves Christians believe they will be raptured or ‘snatch away’ from the earth which will then be thrown into a fiery chaos and then taken to the safety of heaven.
Yet here we read the literal words of Jesus, which have revealed this truth, first to His disciples and as a warning to the Jews and their high priest – judgment is coming; but they did not believe. Many others in our day do not believe, and they will be caught unprepared and will suffer greatly.
Do not be lulled into complacency. Do not listen to the naysayers. If you are to err, err on the side of caution. Take Jesus at His Word – and live!
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
Further reading on the beginning of the end, The Sixth Tribulation Seal, and The Sixth Tribulation Seal, part 2.
NEXT: THE WORDS OF JESUS – What Are You To Do With Them?, “But Some Doubted”, Part 63
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