Saturday Aug 27 730 8pm William Bell Matt 24 and Acts 17 3

Good evening ladies and gentlemen. Welcome once again to the All Things Fulfilled broadcast. I am William Bell. It is a delight to be with you today and looking forward to another great study. Hope that it will be edifying and beneficial for you and we encourage you to send us any comments and questions you may have as you review the lesson. You might want to take out a pen and paper and jot down a scripture or two that you might need to go back and reference or look up so that you will be much better informed as you look at the information that we're about to share with you. I want to encourage you to visit our website at allthingsfulfilled.com. We have plenty of articles that are there that you can read through and many things that help to simplify some of the things that we say. In addition, you'll find podcasts and some videos there. But for more videos, we encourage you to go to our YouTube channel where we have over 750 videos and we're continually adding more on a regular basis. This view is growing and it is exciting to see the growth and to see how it's unifying people all around and in terms of their understanding of matters related to the end time. And so we're very grateful for that and for the people who are working diligently in their studies and in their presentations to make this possible for you. Tune in every Saturday from 630 until 7 p.m. Central Time, 730 to 8 p.m. Eastern Time for the All Things Fulfilled broadcast. As we said, we are looking at Acts chapter 17 verses 30 and 31, trying to understand what that means and when it was fulfilled. Most people look at that text and they say that it was fulfilled or it will be fulfilled at some time in our future because they are expecting a future return of Christ. They are expecting a future judgment, a future resurrection, and a future end of the world, etc., etc. And Acts 17, 30 and 31 is one of their go-to passages. What we have been sharing with you is information that shows that the text in Acts 17, 30 and 31 is parallel with the passage in verse 14. And because of that, Matthew 24, verse 14 is a text that was fulfilled in 70 A.D. in connection with the fall of Jerusalem and the calamity that occurred on the Jews during that time with the Roman invasion in response to their rejection of the Messiah, and therefore God meted His wrath upon those who were rebellious in the nation while at the same time delivering the righteous from the calamity and bringing about their redemption. So we have this salvation going on on a dual plane, both from a physical point of view as well as their spiritual status before God and their covenantal blessings that He brought to them as a result of the prophecies that are found in the Old Covenant. So we want you to tune in and kind of perk up, you know, hope you got some coffee and, you know, your favorite drink at this point or whatever you need in order to help you to relax a little bit, but not too much, so that as we concentrate, we will be able to, and as we study, we will be able to share some information with you. I'm going to take just a moment to take care of a message I need to send, because this is coming from an international destination, so let me go ahead and send a text and ask this person to call me back after this broadcast. I mean, this is what happens with technology, and so I need to at least go ahead and make this message for him. So please bear with me for just a moment, and I do sincerely apologize. All right, I'll just tell him that I'm busy and to call back in 30 minutes. Okay, so with that, we are underway, and let's go ahead and get into the text from Matthew 24 14, and let's take a look at the comparison with that text and Acts chapter 17 30 and 31. Now, just a little bit of review. You know, on last week, we pointed out the correlation between Daniel chapter 12 verses 1 through 4, along with Matthew 24 14. We showed that all of the elements that were there, that it was an imminent time frame because of the appointed time. We also talked about the fact that this was the time of the great tribulation that would take place before that nation passed away, and that there would never ever be such an event to occur in the nation again. That's Matthew 24 21, so that relates to the great tribulation. We also pointed out that it was the time for the resurrection because Daniel said, many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to age-lasting life. That's the literal rendering of the term, and some to age-lasting shame and contempt. So the shame, dishonor concept there, but that referred to the reward of every man according to his works. In other words, that's the judgment. You can also see that in Matthew 16 verses 27 and 28, when the Lord said, for the son of man is about to come in the glory of his father with his holy angels, and then he will reward each according to his work. Assuredly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the son of man coming in his kingdom. Well, that's the same text of Daniel chapter 12 verses one through four, Daniel 7, 13, et cetera. All of them refer to the same time of the end, and they relate to Matthew 24 and Acts chapter 17, 30 and 31, as we will demonstrate. Now that being the case, we also saw where he talked about many of those who were wise would turn, would shine in the firmament and would turn many to righteousness. And that was the preaching of the gospel. So that's Matthew 24, 14, where he's saying this gospel of the kingdom must be preached as a witness to all the nations. Then the end would come. And because it was an announcement of the kingdom, which was at hand at that time, then they would shine in the kingdom of their father that represents their resurrected state, their blessed state. And thus they would shine in the kingdom. Whereas the others would be cast out into outer darkness as Matthew chapter eight verses 12 States when Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would sit down in the kingdom of God. But all of those passages are related, but we'll get to those at another time. We're going to be talking about act 17, 30 and 31. And just let me say that act 17, 30 and 31 is also the text of Daniel chapter 12 verses one through four. And very, very important for us to understand that now point out those correlations in just a moment. But Daniel also said seal up the vision for it is for the time of the end. And that's the end that is spoken of in Matthew 24, 14, where he says, and this gospel of the kingdom must be preached as a witness to all the nations and, or in all into all the inhabited earth as a witness to all the nations. And then the end will come. So we're dealing with the same end, the one that has been unsealed and therefore was about to take place in that first century generation. That is what is under discussion. So now let's get into the meat of the comparison of these two passages and look at the elements of them both to see if they are in fact talking about the same thing. Now I have used this in debate and, um, it was quite a revealing in terms of the, um, comparisons from the two now, uh, what are the points that we find in acts chapter 17? So let's go ahead and get to that text because we've dealt quite a bit with Matthew 24, 14. So now let's talk about acts 17 verses 30 and 31. And this is what the text says. Truly these times of ignorance, God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent because he has appointed a day on which he is about to judge the world, the inhabited earth in righteousness by the man whom he has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising him from the dead. Now it is the understanding of many people who study the Bible, even people that I've studied under years ago, who hold the position that this text is talking about a future coming of the Lord, a yet future, I should say a yet future, meaning yet future to us living today, coming of the Lord, coming judgment, coming resurrection, uh, coming into the world, et cetera, coming kingdom. This is what they're saying about the text. And the reason they're saying it about the text one is because, you know, this is their view of the end time events, but also because they are not paying attention to the language that is found here and comparing it with what the Bible says elsewhere about the event. And they're also overlooking a few little points that are found in the text that are critical, very important for us to understand. So now let's take a look at it and see how we can correlate Matthew 24, 14, which, as we said in our first video, that many have no problems assigning to the 70 AD event with the destruction of the temple by the Romans in 70 AD. All right. So the writer says truly these times of ignorance, God overlooked, but now, now the word now indicates an eminence. In other words, he's telling them to do this. Now he's not saying wait for 2000 years before you move, before you act, before you respond, he's saying, but now God commands all men everywhere to repent. Now. So let me ask you a question in Matthew chapter 24, when the scripture says this gospel of the kingdom must be preached in all the inhabited earth as a witness to all the nations. What is the difference between all the nations and every man everywhere. Let's look at that again. What's the difference between all men everywhere in Paul's generation and all the nations in Paul's generation. Remember we shared with you how Paul said the gospel had gone to all the nations, Romans one verse eight, Romans 10, verse 18, Romans 16, 25 and 26 Colossians one five and six and also verse 23. So Paul knew where all the nations were. The apostles did. They went to all the nations. They preach to all the nations, the gospel affirmed and verified in the very new Testament that we read. So if that is the case, then their command was to have all men everywhere to repent. Now, what did the text say concerning the great commission in Luke 24 verses 44 through 47, particularly I think around verse 47, when it says that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. Was that the command that was given to the apostles in the first century? Of course it was the command. What was that to tell them to repent who was supposed to repent all the nations to whom the apostles were commissioned to preach. So there is no difference then between the all nations of Matthew 24, 14 and all men everywhere of act 17 and verse 30. So there we have harmony. We have continuity. We have a correlation between those events. Then he says, because he has appointed a day, he has appointed a day. And when you look at that word appointed, it means an appointed time. I want to take a moment to look at it and just refresh my memory on something, but it is an appointed day in Acts chapter 17 and verse 31. Now was the day of judgment and appointed day. All you have to do is study the feast days in Leviticus and you will see that that was the case. All of those were appointed times. And the judgment was the feast of trumpets. That was an appointed festival. So it was an appointed day. So he had appointed a day in which he would judge the world. Now is Matthew 24 dealing with an appointed day? Let's see in Matthew 24 in view of that gospel of the kingdom that had to go out, he tells them heaven and earth would pass away verse 35, but of that day and hour, no man knows. Well, that's the feast of trumpets, which is also the time of Jubilee. And there was a very specific and precise time for that event. It was called the unknown day, but it was in association with the feast of trumpets. And that's the idiom that Jesus is using in that text called the unknown day. And in Luke 17, 30 and 31, he says in that day, um, when they were on the housetop showing you the correlation between Matthew 24, 15 through 18 and Luke 21, uh, 21 and 22, that these things were to take place. And thus the text says he has appointed a day. That was the day of judgment. That was what's called the day of the Lord. And that's what was being discussed in Matthew 24 and verse 14. Then next, he says, uh, he will judge the inhabited earth. Now the text that says he will judge or the phrase he will judge is a phrase that uses the word mellow, meaning something about to be done. So this is not talking about a judgment and just using some very, uh, common or loosely, uh, worded language. It's very precise because he says he is about to judge. Now, when you look at Matthew 24, was he about to judge the nation? Yes, it was coming within their generation. That's pretty soon. Suppose someone told you that a judgment was about to I think so. And so in Matthew 24, uh, verse 14, when he says this gospel of the kingdom has to be preached in all the inhabited earth to all the nations, and then the end will come. That meant that it was eminent because that generation would not pass away till all those things took place. Now let's look at some other passages that talk about that. Here's a text in acts 24 and the verse is a 14 and 15. And this, uh, text notice that, uh, they had been accusing Paul of teaching a gospel country, uh, contrary to the law. And Paul said they couldn't prove that. In other words, he was there to tell them, look, I preach from the same law and the prophets that you are, you know, looking at that you are claiming to be following. So he says, but this, I confess verse 14 to you that according to the way which they call a sect. So I worship the God of my father's believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets. And Daniel was one of the prophets. And he says, I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept that there is about to be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and of the unjust. So the text says there was about to be this resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust. That is what acts 1730 and 31 says as well. He says he is, he has appointed a day in which he is about to judge the inhabiter in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained. So this text is saying the same thing. And it's a quote from Daniel 12, because he says there was about to be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just, those who would awake to everlasting or age, lasting life and of the unjust, those who would awake to everlasting or age, lasting shame and contempt. So this text is very clear, even in the latter verse, when he talks about the judgment, the text says verse 25. Now, as he reasoned about righteousness, there's the gospel again, being preached, self-control and the judgment about to come. Now, Paul wasn't teaching two different judgments or three different judgments in the book of Acts. He was teaching one judgment that was about to come. That's the one in Acts 1730. It's the one in Acts 24 verse 15. And it is also the one in Acts 24 and verse 25, when it says he reasoned about righteousness, self-control and the judgment about to come. Felix was afraid and answered, go your way for now, when I have a convenient time, I will call for you. And why were they saying, here's one more passage I want to bring out in terms of this judgment that was about to come that lists all of the elements in Daniel chapter 12, verse one, which we've already demonstrated to be Matthew 24 and verse 14 in second Timothy chapter four. And the verse is one. He says, I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who is about to judge. The word mellow is in that text. He is about to judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom. See, that's what Daniel was saying when he said, shut up the book and seal it for the time of the end. Paul is saying that the time of the end had come. As a matter of fact, in first Corinthians 10 and verse 11, he says, these things were written for our examples and written for our admonition upon whom the ends of the ages have come. They knew they were living in the end of the age. And that's why Matthew 24, 14 said that when that gospel had been published as a witness to all the nations and all the inhabited earth, then the end would come. And so Paul says, God was about to judge the living and the dead that's act 1730 and 31 that harmonizes with Matthew 24, 14, because it was coming in that generation. It was about to occur. The next thing that we look at in the text in act 1730 is that we have the same apostles doing the preaching. Now those were the apostles in the first century who had been given the commission. So how are they any different than the ones who are preaching in Matthew 24, 14, who had that commission to go into all the world and preach the gospel, the gospel of the kingdom. So that means it was the same apostles who preached the message in act 1730 and 31 that preached the message per Matthew 24, 14 and the great commission same messengers in both passages. Well, if it was the same messengers in both of the passages, wouldn't that mean that they had the same message? In other words, God didn't give Paul a message or give the apostles a message to preach that the kingdom was at hand in Matthew 24 and in the commission text of Matthew 28 and Mark 16 and Luke 24. He didn't give them a different message than he gave to Paul to preach in Acts chapter 17. Remember when Paul went up to Jerusalem, he says, you know, those who were already there, they didn't add anything to my gospel. And he also said, but though we are an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than that which we preach to you, let it be a curse. So they have the same message, which is the gospel of the kingdom of God. And that's why he said, because he has appointed a day on which he is about to judge the inhabited earth in righteousness, where it was righteousness in the gospel of Jesus Christ, where I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation to the Jew first and also to the Greek for there in is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith, as it is written, the just shall live by faith. So he's preaching the gospel of God in this text, but notice something else when he says that he is about to judge the world. What does that mean? That's Daniel chapter 12, that he is going to judge them some to age lasting life and some to age lasting condemnation. What's the difference between the message at 1730 is Daniel 12. Who's going to say it's not who's going to take the judgment of act 17, which is about the resurrection and the judgment of the world and separated from Daniel chapter 12 and Matthew 24 and verse 14. It's the same judgment. It's the same text and the same outcome, the same reward from the judge, either life or shame and contempt. And therefore the outcome is the same. Furthermore, when we consider the text, the resurrection is a part of this because it, as I quoted in second Timothy chapter four, verse one, he was about to judge the living and the dead at his appearing in his kingdom. So there's judgment. There's the coming of the Lord. There's the coming of the kingdom and there is the living and the dead, or there are the living and the dead. And so from that point, we have a correlation between act 1730 and 31, Matthew 24, 14, which is Daniel chapter 12, verses one through four. And so there are no, there's no difference between these two passages. He has given assurance to all in that. He was about to judge the inhabited earth in righteousness. And so every element that we find in Matthew 24, 14, same apostles, same message, same gospel, same inhabited earth, same nations, all men everywhere, same judge, Jesus Christ, the righteous judge, same judgment, a judgment to everlasting life or age lasting life and a judgment to age lasting shame and contempt. Same generation wasn't Paul preaching in that generation. Same end. Everything is the same. There is no difference. There is no distinction. So act 17 should not be preached as a future judgment to come, but it should be preached as the judgment that took place in that generation. Just like Matthew 24, 14 says, when this gospel of the kingdom has been preached in all the inhabited earth, as a witness to all the nations, then the end would come. It's been a pleasure being with you. I hope you've enjoyed these messages. We look forward to bringing more tune in every Saturday from 6 30 to 7 p.m. Central time, 7 30 to 8 p.m. Eastern time for the all things before broadcast. I'm William Bell. May God bless and keep you.