{"id":700,"date":"2017-08-22T17:55:41","date_gmt":"2017-08-22T22:55:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/?p=700"},"modified":"2017-08-22T17:55:41","modified_gmt":"2017-08-22T22:55:41","slug":"the-three-questions-of-matthew-24","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/the-three-questions-of-matthew-24\/","title":{"rendered":"The Three Questions Of Matthew 24"},"content":{"rendered":"
The Three Questions Of Matthew 24<\/strong> – Jack Kelley – https:\/\/gracethrufaith.com\/end-times-prophecy\/the-three-questions-of-matt-24\/<\/a><\/div>\n

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” (Matt. 24:3)<\/p>\n

\n

One of the mistakes Christians make in reading the Bible is caused by our tendency to look at everything through “Church colored glasses.” \u00a0By that I mean we read it as if it all applies directly to us without regard for the context or historical background. \u00a0I know Paul said everything that was written in the past was written to teach us (Romans 15:4) but that doesn’t mean it was all written to us or about us. \u00a0It means we’re supposed to learn from the experiences of those who came before us. \u00a0A prime example of this kind of mistake can be found in our interpretation of the Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24-25). \u00a0I’ll show you what I mean.<\/p>\n

Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples came up to him to call his attention to its buildings. “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “I tell you the truth, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.” (Matt. 24:1-2)<\/p>\n

These two verses set the tone for the entire discussion, yet in our rush to get to the meat of the passage they are often ignored. \u00a0From Mark’s account we know that after Jesus said this, four of the disciples came to Him for clarification. \u00a0They were Peter, James, John and Andrew (Mark 13:3), and they asked Him 3 questions; \u00a0When will this happen? (When will these buildings be torn down? ) What will be the sign of your coming? \u00a0What will be the sign of the End of the Age?<\/p>\n

So let’s \u00a0look at them individually to gain more of the background that prompted these questions. We’ll find that the first two are pretty simple, but the third one is a different matter altogether.<\/p>\n

When Will This Happen?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The view of Jerusalem at sunset from the Mount of Olives is breathtaking, even today. \u00a0In the Lord’s time it was even more so because the Temple was still standing. To them it was the most beautiful building imaginable. \u00a0There’s a saying based on the Talmud that goes, “One who has not seen the Temple from the time of Herod has never seen a magnificent building.” It had been 46 years in the construction and was not finished yet. \u00a0At sunset its white limestone exterior took on a bright golden hue, as if it was made of pure gold.<\/p>\n

Repeating His Palm Sunday<\/span><\/span> prophecy from Luke 19:41-44 Jesus said the temple and surrounding buildings would be so completely \u00a0destroyed that not one stone would be left standing on another. \u00a0Luke’s account of the Olivet Discourse is found in Luke 21. \u00a0He’s the only one who recorded a detailed answer to their first question, “When will this happen?”. Luke 21:12-24, a description of the Roman conquest of 68-70 AD, was the Lord’s answer.<\/p>\n

What Will Be The Sign Of Your Coming?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Obviously they meant His 2nd Coming and He actually gave them 2 clear signs. After describing several things that would not be specific signs, but merely “birth pangs”, He gave them the first clear sign in Matt. 24:15. \u00a0It’s the Abomination of Desolation standing in the Holy Place and it will mark the beginning of the Great Tribulation (Matt. 24:21). \u00a0The second unmistakeable sign of His coming is described as the Sign of the Son of Man. \u00a0It will signal the Great Tribulation’s end (Matt. 24:29-30). After that the Lord will return on the clouds with power and great glory.<\/p>\n

What Will Be The Sign Of The End Of The Age?<\/strong><\/p>\n

This question is more complex than they ever imagined when they asked it, even though the answer is simple. \u00a0Ultimately, the sign of the End of the Age will be the Lord’s return to become King of the Whole Earth (Zech. 14:9). \u00a0After that the Kingdom Age will begin. \u00a0This question is the one where so many believers are way off the mark. It’s those “church colored glasses” I mentioned. \u00a0But when you understand the disciples’ perspective you’ll see that it was not possible for them to be thinking of the Church Age when they used the phrase “end of the age” like so many Christians assume. \u00a0Here’s why.<\/p>\n

Over 500 years previously the Angel Gabriel had told Daniel how and when the end of the age would come (Daniel 9:24-27). \u00a0He said that from the time they received permission to restore and rebuild Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity there would be 70 periods of 7 years each (These 7 year periods are often called “weeks” because the Hebrew word Gabriel used means “a week of years”.) \u00a0This gives us a total of 490 years (70 weeks).<\/p>\n

When the disciples posed their questions to Jesus, 483 of those years (69 weeks) \u00a0had come and there were only 7 years (1 week) left. You can imagine their astonishment when He told them that having come so close, just when the end was in sight, the temple and surrounding buildings would all be destroyed. \u00a0How could this be? \u00a0The temple was essential to their worship. It had been under construction for 46 years and as I said above was not finished yet. \u00a0How could it be torn down so completely and then rebuilt again in just 7 years?<\/p>\n

It was this astonishment that had led to their questions. They didn’t know anything about a Church Age that would cause a 2000 year pause in Daniel’s 70 weeks prophecy. \u00a0Even today, most of us don’t understand that the Church Age didn’t end the Age of Law, it has just interrupted it seven years short of its scheduled completion. \u00a0How could they have understood it? \u00a0(The fact that the Age of Law hasn’t ended explains why there will be a Temple erected in Israel soon. \u00a0They will need one to complete the final 7 years.)<\/p>\n

40 days after the Resurrection, even after receiving the Holy Spirit (John 20:22<\/span><\/span>) the disciples were still thinking that the End of the Age was at hand. When Jesus led them up to the Mount of Olives where He would soon ascend to the Father, they asked Him, “Lord are you at this time going to restore the Kingdom to Israel?” Once again He didn’t explain anything about the future, but said, “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority” (Acts 1:7-8).<\/p>\n

I’ve Got A Secret<\/strong><\/p>\n

James revealed the answer to the Apostles for the first time 20 years after the cross.<\/p>\n

The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. When they finished, James spoke up: “Brothers, listen to me. Simon (Peter) has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself. \u00a0The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:<\/p>\n

” ‘After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, that the remnant of men may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things that have been known for ages.’ ” (Acts 15:12-17)<\/p>\n

In effect, James told them Israel was being set aside while the Lord took a people from among the Gentiles for Himself. \u00a0He was referring to the Church. \u00a0After He had taken us (literally carried us away) He would turn His attention once again to Israel. \u00a0If the Lord had taught them these things, James would not have had to explain them. It wasn’t that they had heard this and forgotten it. \u00a0It was that the Lord had never told them.<\/p>\n

There’s a very simple reason why the Lord never explained the Church Age in any detail. It’s because He came to offer the Kingdom to Israel. \u00a0The theme of His ministry to Israel was, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near” (Matt. 4:17<\/span><\/span>). \u00a0And \u00a0when He sent the original 12 disciples out on their first missionary trip He told them, \u00a0“Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near’ (Matt. 10:5-7). \u00a0Then there’s the strange incident where Jesus refused to even acknowledge the Canaanite woman who begged Him to heal her daughter. \u00a0When the disciples urged Him to respond to her, He replied, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel” (Matt. 15:24<\/span><\/span>).<\/p>\n

When the officials asked Him for a definitive sign that He was their Messiah He gave them the sign of Jonah, which He knew would not be clear to them until after the resurrection (Matt. 12:38-40).<\/p>\n

My point is that He couldn’t very well go around describing what a wonderful blessing was coming to Jews and Gentiles who became a part of the Church when He had already offered Israel the Kingdom. \u00a0A few days before the crucifixion He warned them that the kingdom would be taken away and given to others (Matt. 21:43<\/span><\/span>) but I’m convinced His offer to Israel was on the table right up to the day He ascended to Heaven, and that’s why He was still preaching about the Kingdom of God for 40 days after the resurrection \u00a0(Acts 1:3). \u00a040 is the number of testing. The sign of Jonah \u00a0had been fulfilled and Israel was being given 40 days to finally accept Him.<\/p>\n

Of course the Lord had always known they would fail the test. \u00a0That’s why Paul could claim he was revealing an age old secret when he told the Church in Ephesus that through the Gospel gentiles were being made heirs together with Israel (Ephes. 3:4-6). \u00a0Israel’s rejection didn’t surprise Him.<\/p>\n

Seen from this perspective it’s clear that the Olivet Discourse is not about the Church. \u00a0It’s the account of the Jewish Messiah speaking on the Mt. of Olives to His Jewish followers about the future of Israel. \u00a0To underscore this point, in Matt. 24:15-21 He made reference to a Jewish Temple and warned them to flee when they saw the Abomination of Desolation standing there, because it would signal the beginning of the Great Tribulation. \u00a0He told them to pray their flight wouldn’t take place on a Sabbath. That means there will be Old Covenant believers in Judea, the Biblical name for Israel, worshiping in a temple at the End of the Age. \u00a0They are the only people for whom it would be unlawful to flee on a Sabbath.<\/p>\n

These are the only specific references to a people group in the entire passage. \u00a0They both point to Israel and they’re both written in the 2nd person (v. 15, when you see … v.20, pray that your flight … ), indicating that the Lord considered the disciples to be representative of Israel. \u00a0To place the Church in the Olivet Discourse is to make a fundamental error in interpretation. \u00a0Only the pre-Trib Rapture position avoids this error.<\/p>\n

What’s That There For?<\/strong><\/p>\n

So why is the Olivet Discourse even in the New Testament if it’s not for the Church? There are several good reasons. \u00a0First, it gives the Church some early warning signals we can use to know how close we’re getting to our departure. \u00a0The birth pangs of Matt. 24:4-8 \u00a0serve as “nearness indicators” in that the more frequently they occur the closer we are . Also, throughout the entire Church Age the signs the Lord gave to Israel have not been in evidence, primarily because until 1948 there was no Israel. \u00a0This is what makes the re-birth of the nation the primary sign that the End Times are upon us.<\/p>\n

Second, the absence of any reference to the Church shows us that we won’t be here during the time He was talking about.<\/p>\n

And third, it shows Tribulation believers both inside and outside of Israel what to look for to help maintain their faith that He’s coming to end their ordeal.<\/p>\n

Neither the Angel Gabriel nor the Lord misled Israel by not mentioning this indeterminate pause between the 69th and 70th weeks of Daniel’s prophecy. \u00a0At least up to the cross and maybe all the way to His Ascension the Lord’s offer of a Kingdom to Israel was on the table. Had Israel accepted Jesus as their Messiah, the pause would never have occurred. \u00a0This could also explain why the Gospel received limited exposure \u00a0among the Gentiles during and immediately after the Lord’s ministry and why it was 20 years after the cross before things like direct Gentile participation in the Church, the doctrines of salvation by grace and eternal security, the pre-tribulation rapture, and the Church’s ultimate destiny were introduced.<\/p>\n

Clearly the Olivet Discourse was given to and for Israel. \u00a0No matter what view you hold of the sequence of End Times events, if you’ve based it on an assumption that the disciples represent the Church in the Olivet Discourse, it’s time to re-think your assumption.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

One of the mistakes Christians make in reading the Bible is caused by our tendency to look at everything through “Church colored glasses.” By that I mean we read it as if it all applies directly to us without regard for the context or historical background. I know Paul said everything that was written in the past was written to teach us (Romans 15:4) but that doesn’t mean it was all written to us or about us. It means we’re supposed to learn from the experiences of those who came before us. A prime example of this kind of mistake can be found in our interpretation of the Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24-25). I’ll show you what I mean.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"iawp_total_views":20,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[539,37,538,17,15,521,537,206],"class_list":["post-700","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-jack-kelley","tag-abomination-of-desolation","tag-end-of-the-age","tag-gentiles-jack-kelley","tag-israel","tag-jerusalem","tag-matthew-24","tag-olivet-discourse","tag-temple"],"yoast_head":"\nThe Three Questions Of Matthew 24<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/the-three-questions-of-matthew-24\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Three Questions Of Matthew 24\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"One of the mistakes Christians make in reading the Bible is caused by our tendency to look at everything through "Church colored glasses." By that I mean we read it as if it all applies directly to us without regard for the context or historical background. I know Paul said everything that was written in the past was written to teach us (Romans 15:4) but that doesn't mean it was all written to us or about us. It means we're supposed to learn from the experiences of those who came before us. A prime example of this kind of mistake can be found in our interpretation of the Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24-25). I'll show you what I mean.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/the-three-questions-of-matthew-24\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Prophecy Forum\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2017-08-22T22:55:41+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"nexxus\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"nexxus\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"11 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/prophecyforum.com\\\/bible-prophecy\\\/the-three-questions-of-matthew-24\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/prophecyforum.com\\\/bible-prophecy\\\/the-three-questions-of-matthew-24\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"nexxus\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/prophecyforum.com\\\/bible-prophecy\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/47f3ad622aac024723558ad57071bfd3\"},\"headline\":\"The Three Questions Of Matthew 24\",\"datePublished\":\"2017-08-22T22:55:41+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/prophecyforum.com\\\/bible-prophecy\\\/the-three-questions-of-matthew-24\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":2242,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/prophecyforum.com\\\/bible-prophecy\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/47f3ad622aac024723558ad57071bfd3\"},\"keywords\":[\"Abomination of Desolation\",\"end of the age\",\"Gentiles Jack Kelley\",\"Israel\",\"Jerusalem\",\"matthew 24\",\"Olivet Discourse\",\"temple\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Jack Kelley\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/prophecyforum.com\\\/bible-prophecy\\\/the-three-questions-of-matthew-24\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/prophecyforum.com\\\/bible-prophecy\\\/the-three-questions-of-matthew-24\\\/\",\"name\":\"The Three Questions Of Matthew 24\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/prophecyforum.com\\\/bible-prophecy\\\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2017-08-22T22:55:41+00:00\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\\\/\\\/prophecyforum.com\\\/bible-prophecy\\\/the-three-questions-of-matthew-24\\\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/prophecyforum.com\\\/bible-prophecy\\\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/prophecyforum.com\\\/bible-prophecy\\\/\",\"name\":\"Prophecy Forum\",\"description\":\"Bible prophecy and current events from a biblical perspective.\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/prophecyforum.com\\\/bible-prophecy\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/47f3ad622aac024723558ad57071bfd3\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\\\/\\\/prophecyforum.com\\\/bible-prophecy\\\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":[\"Person\",\"Organization\"],\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/prophecyforum.com\\\/bible-prophecy\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/47f3ad622aac024723558ad57071bfd3\",\"name\":\"nexxus\",\"logo\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/prophecyforum.com\\\/bible-prophecy\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/image\\\/\"},\"description\":\"Rev. Larry W. Cockerham is best known for his prophetical teaching ministry based on the inspiration and authority of the Bible. The foundation of his ministry is helping others understand the Scriptures as they relate to the \\\"blessed hope\\\" (Tit. 2:13). Bro. Larry graduated from Andersonville Baptist Seminary with a Master of Theology degree. He has been teaching and preaching Bible prophecy, typology and related studies in churches for over forty-one years. He has written one book: Revelation: Prophetic Addresses to the Seven Churches, Vol. 1, The Rapture, and Ten Major Signs of the Lord's Return in Our Generation. He has listed over 40 books on Amazon, including novels, puzzle books, coloring books and other items. Larry is also listed in the Who's Who in Bible Prophecy and Top 100 End-Times Prophecy Teachers.\",\"sameAs\":[\"http:\\\/\\\/www.prophecyforum.com\",\"https:\\\/\\\/x.com\\\/larrywcockerham\"],\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/prophecyforum.com\\\/bible-prophecy\\\/author\\\/nexxus\\\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"The Three Questions Of Matthew 24","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/the-three-questions-of-matthew-24\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"The Three Questions Of Matthew 24","og_description":"One of the mistakes Christians make in reading the Bible is caused by our tendency to look at everything through \"Church colored glasses.\" By that I mean we read it as if it all applies directly to us without regard for the context or historical background. I know Paul said everything that was written in the past was written to teach us (Romans 15:4) but that doesn't mean it was all written to us or about us. It means we're supposed to learn from the experiences of those who came before us. A prime example of this kind of mistake can be found in our interpretation of the Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24-25). I'll show you what I mean.","og_url":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/the-three-questions-of-matthew-24\/","og_site_name":"Prophecy Forum","article_published_time":"2017-08-22T22:55:41+00:00","author":"nexxus","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"nexxus","Est. reading time":"11 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/the-three-questions-of-matthew-24\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/the-three-questions-of-matthew-24\/"},"author":{"name":"nexxus","@id":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/#\/schema\/person\/47f3ad622aac024723558ad57071bfd3"},"headline":"The Three Questions Of Matthew 24","datePublished":"2017-08-22T22:55:41+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/the-three-questions-of-matthew-24\/"},"wordCount":2242,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/#\/schema\/person\/47f3ad622aac024723558ad57071bfd3"},"keywords":["Abomination of Desolation","end of the age","Gentiles Jack Kelley","Israel","Jerusalem","matthew 24","Olivet Discourse","temple"],"articleSection":["Jack Kelley"],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/the-three-questions-of-matthew-24\/","url":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/the-three-questions-of-matthew-24\/","name":"The Three Questions Of Matthew 24","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/#website"},"datePublished":"2017-08-22T22:55:41+00:00","inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/the-three-questions-of-matthew-24\/"]}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/#website","url":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/","name":"Prophecy Forum","description":"Bible prophecy and current events from a biblical perspective.","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/#\/schema\/person\/47f3ad622aac024723558ad57071bfd3"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":["Person","Organization"],"@id":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/#\/schema\/person\/47f3ad622aac024723558ad57071bfd3","name":"nexxus","logo":{"@id":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/"},"description":"Rev. Larry W. Cockerham is best known for his prophetical teaching ministry based on the inspiration and authority of the Bible. The foundation of his ministry is helping others understand the Scriptures as they relate to the \"blessed hope\" (Tit. 2:13). Bro. Larry graduated from Andersonville Baptist Seminary with a Master of Theology degree. He has been teaching and preaching Bible prophecy, typology and related studies in churches for over forty-one years. He has written one book: Revelation: Prophetic Addresses to the Seven Churches, Vol. 1, The Rapture, and Ten Major Signs of the Lord's Return in Our Generation. He has listed over 40 books on Amazon, including novels, puzzle books, coloring books and other items. Larry is also listed in the Who's Who in Bible Prophecy and Top 100 End-Times Prophecy Teachers.","sameAs":["http:\/\/www.prophecyforum.com","https:\/\/x.com\/larrywcockerham"],"url":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/author\/nexxus\/"}]}},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1038,"url":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/timeline-in-the-olivet-discourse\/","url_meta":{"origin":700,"position":0},"title":"Timeline in the Olivet Discourse","author":"nexxus","date":"June 10, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"God recently honored me with an invitation to speak at a church on the Olivet Discourse (Matt. 24).","rel":"","context":"In "Daymond Duck"","block_context":{"text":"Daymond Duck","link":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/category\/daymond-duck\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Photo by Behy Studio on Unsplash","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/behy-studio-1675923-unsplash.jpg?fit=829%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/behy-studio-1675923-unsplash.jpg?fit=829%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/behy-studio-1675923-unsplash.jpg?fit=829%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/06\/behy-studio-1675923-unsplash.jpg?fit=829%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":451,"url":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/between-first-fruits-and-pentecost\/","url_meta":{"origin":700,"position":1},"title":"Between First Fruits and Pentecost","author":"nexxus","date":"June 8, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"For some time now, I've been puzzled about the time between the resurrection and the ascension, wondering why the Lord lingered during those 40 days.","rel":"","context":"In "Jack Kelley"","block_context":{"text":"Jack Kelley","link":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/category\/jack-kelley\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":785,"url":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/how-near\/","url_meta":{"origin":700,"position":2},"title":"How Near?","author":"nexxus","date":"March 19, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"One of the prophetic Scriptures most poured over by those who hold the pre-Millennial, pre-Trib view of eschatology is the following.","rel":"","context":"In "Terry James"","block_context":{"text":"Terry James","link":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/category\/terry-james\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":2058,"url":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/pre-trib-trigger-points\/","url_meta":{"origin":700,"position":3},"title":"Pre-Trib Trigger Points","author":"nexxus","date":"May 13, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"Many within the Pre-Trib Rapture belief camp understand that the Rapture is dealt with in Jesus\u2019 Olivet Discourse. My dear friend, the late Dave Hunt, gave an excellent session on the subject, which he was assigned to address at a conference.","rel":"","context":"In "Terry James"","block_context":{"text":"Terry James","link":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/category\/terry-james\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/angel.png?fit=281%2C262&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":2323,"url":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/the-promise-of-the-rapture-guarantees-our-deliverance\/","url_meta":{"origin":700,"position":4},"title":"The Promise of the Rapture Guarantees Our Deliverance","author":"nexxus","date":"July 7, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"One of the more compelling arguments for the pre-Tribulation Rapture is the Lord\u2019s promise, through the Apostle Paul, that believers will not experience the wrath of the Day of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 5:1-11).","rel":"","context":"In "Jonathan Brentner"","block_context":{"text":"Jonathan Brentner","link":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/category\/jonathan-brentner\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"promise of the rapture","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/promiseoftherapture.jpg?fit=474%2C355&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":419,"url":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/solving-the-three-day-three-night-mystery\/","url_meta":{"origin":700,"position":5},"title":"Solving the Three Day Three Night Mystery – A Bible Study by Jack Kelley","author":"nexxus","date":"April 20, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"\"Just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish,\" He said, \"So will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth (Matt. 12:40).\"","rel":"","context":"In "Jack Kelley"","block_context":{"text":"Jack Kelley","link":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/category\/jack-kelley\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/700","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=700"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/700\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=700"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=700"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prophecyforum.com\/bible-prophecy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=700"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}