Herb wrote:
> >>As to the Matthew reference (24:13): this is prophesying a very
> >>troublesome time where christians would be hated and killed.
> >
> >
> >  I'm sorry, I must have missed it.  Where is the Church Age
believer
> > noted in the context?  "This race will not pass away."
"Abomination of
> > Desolation."  "Great Tribulation."  These all have
to do with
Israel,
> > not the Church.
> >
> Speaking to his disciples, who later were called Christians, Jesus
said,
> You will be killed." I presumed that v.13 was still in that same
> context. The quotes you have made are from the next section of the
> prophecy starting at V. 15. Perhaps I should have used the term
> believers rather than Christians.
> Herb
>
"believers?"  some of them, but not all.  Also, which disciples are in
view?  Only the 12, one of which was not a "believer."

My point was that the entire context is Jewish.  It completely
correlates to the Jewish prophetic scriptures.  The Church has not yet
be revealed to the disciples at this point in the Gospel.  It wasn't
until the upper room (Jn 13-16) that it was inferred and even at
Pentecost, the disciples still didn't have a good understanding of new
theocratic economy.  Acts specifically addresses the issue of the
disciples/apostles growing in appreciation of that fact and the
transitions which occurred as a result.  However, that does not dismiss
Israel.  The Church Era is parenthetical.  It is to be removed from the
world prior to Daniel's 70th week.  The first 69 weeks of the prophecy
have already been literally fulfilled by Israel.  The 70th week will as
well.  Joel and Zephaniah speak directly to the events of that "week of
years," which we today commonly refer to as the "Tribulation."  As God
purged and purified Israel in the past by the Gentile nations, so He
will again.  Israel is back in the land after 2000 yrs.  It is a
secular society who has yet to return to their God.  He will get their
attention by the events of which Jesus speaks of in Mt 24.

Mt 25 also does not speak of the Church.  The Church is the Bride.  The
Bride is not mentioned in Mt 25:1, but rather her attendents.  In two
very early versions of Mt 25:1, the writers included the Bride with the
Bridegroom, while the bride maids stand separate.  Mt 25 is about the
separation of Jewish believer from unbelievers at the time of entrance
into the Millennial Kingdom.  It is these believers who will populate
the MK, not the Church age believers for they will have been given
their new bodies which do not procreate.  Believing Gentiles will also
be admitted, but the context is speaking of Israel.

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