“... there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist ..." (Matthew 11:11-15)

“I tell you the truth: Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John. And if you are willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who was to come. He who has ears, let him hear." (Matthew 11:11-15)

Was John the Baptist Jesus' teacher?

These statements by Jesus indicate that John the Baptist was Jesus' spiritual teacher. We can add the fact that Jesus received baptism from John, and that Jesus taught what John taught, as indicated below.

Jesus' statements above indicate a devotional relationship between Jesus and John. Jesus says, "there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist." That indicates that Jesus respected and admired John considerably.

Note that Jesus is basically saying that John taught knowledge that went beyond even that given by the prophets before him.

These statements indicate that Jesus humbly admired and respected John. He saw John as his superior. This is the consciousness of a student.

It is well known that Jesus received baptism from John:

When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. (Luke 3:21)

The scripture confirms that John was a bonafide spiritual teacher, and had many followers:

And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. (Mark 1:4)

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene—during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. (Luke 3:3)

Even tax collectors came to be baptized. "Teacher," they asked [John the Baptist], "what should we do?" "Don't collect any more than you are required to," he told them. Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?" He replied, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely—be content with your pay." (Luke 3:12-14)

These were all people who came out to the Jordan River to be baptized by John and hear his instructions. Thus we can be assured that John was respected and honored throughout Judea for his teachings.

We also know that Jesus accepted that John was a bonafide teacher:

"For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did." (Matthew 21:32)

"What did you go out into the desert to see? A reed swayed by the wind? A man dressed in fine clothes? No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces. Then what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is the one about whom it is written: ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’ “ (Matthew 11:7-10)

And we know that Jesus taught the same thing as John:

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the Desert of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." (Matthew 3:2)

When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. ... From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” (Matthew 4:12-17)

Jesus also taught his own disciples to go out and teach this same thing:

"As you go, preach this message: 'The kingdom of heaven has come near.'" (Matthew 10:7)

We know from these verses that John was well respected and admired by Jesus; that Jesus underwent John's baptism just as other followers of John did; that John was a messenger of God; that Jesus accepted John as an acclaimed spiritual teacher; and that Jesus taught what John taught and instructed his own disciples to also teach what John taught.

Consider also the version of Jesus' statement from Luke:

"I tell you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” (All the people, even the tax collectors, when they heard Jesus’ words, acknowledged that God’s way was right, because they had been baptized by John. But the Pharisees and the experts in the law rejected God’s purpose for themselves, because they had not been baptized by John. (Luke 7:28-30)

Following hearing John's these teachings, Jesus went to the desert to apply those teachings - solidifying his relationship with the Supreme Being Otherwise, why would Jesus have bothered going to the desert? Did he just want to become thirsty and be tempted?

At some point after Jesus's journey in the desert, John was thrown in prison for his teachings.

Why did Jesus begin teaching after John was jailed?

It was then that Jesus took on the responsibility of teaching the same messages as John, following in the footsteps of his teacher. Jesus saw that John could no longer reach out in his teachings because he was jailed. So he began his mission

As Jesus taught, he, like John, also took on his own followers and later told them - after they heard and understood his teachings - to go out and teach the same message to others (Matt. 10:16-20).

This is how the Supreme Being passes along His message to us: Personally, from one loving servant to another. Each loving servant learns from another loving servant of God not only the words of the Truth but how those words are applied. Once the loving servant applies those words and the example of his/her teacher, that person may be empowered by the Supreme Being to pass this message on to others.

And what is this Message? Jesus communicated this clearly:

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?" Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." (Matt. 22:36-40)

Jesus is repeating the same teaching that Moses gave in Deuteronomy. Is this a coincidence? Certainly not. It is evident that the lineage of prophets - teachers and their students - between Moses and Jesus were passing on precisely the same message.

Was John also the Prophet Elijah?

So why did Jesus mention Elijah with respect to his teacher John? In Malachi God makes this statement:

"See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse." (Malachi 4:5)

So we must ask, what is the great and dreadful day of the Lord, and just who is Elijah?

The teachings of the politically organized Roman Catholic institutions and those that followed would have us believe that Jesus is Elijah. But if Jesus were Elijah, why is Jesus saying that John is Elijah?

The word "prophet" (נָבִיא) follows the word "Elijah" (אֵלִיָּה) - indicating the emphasis on "prophet." Furthermore, there were several people named "Elijah" in the Old Testament. There was "Elijah the Tishbite" and there was the Benjamite son of Jeroham, and there was the son of Elam and there was the son of Harim. Which Elijah is God speaking of, and if God is speaking of any of these Elijahs, why did they all appear before Malachi?

The meaning of the word “Elijah” means “My God is Yah.” In context, the word Elijah refers to a "loving servant of God," or "one who has dedicated their life to God."

While certainly Elijah the Tishbite is the historical prophet spoken of in Kings of the Old Testament, there is considerable context to know the Malachi reference to Elijah was not referring specifically to Elijah the Tishbite.

The historical person referred to in Kings as "Elijah the Tishbite" to distinguish this. Elijah the Tishbite was known by many during those times as a "man of God" - one of God's representatives.

As such, God is communicating in Malachi that in every age He sends His messenger - those who proclaim “My God is Yah.”

What is 'the day of the Lord'?

The statement "that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes" has also been twisted by some teachers to supposedly mean the coming (and now second coming) of Jesus Christ. This would mean that the first coming of Jesus did not precede "that great and dreadful day" as imagined by these interpreters the first time - but rather, sometime in the future.

They have it all wrong. It is apparent by the beginning of Malachi 4 that the Supreme Being is speaking of a personal event:

"Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire" (Malachi 4:1)

If this sentence is read within its context it is apparent that God is speaking of a particular day in a person's life - not a historical arrival of a person centuries into the future.

“The day of the Lord” is the day that each of us dies: It is the day we each must leave this body and face the Supreme Being in one form or another. At that time, we will be judged for our lifetime. This is the day we all must prepare for during our lives. Over recent centuries, this has been paraphrased as the day we "meet our Maker".

This has also been referred to as "Judgement Day," as this (the day of the death of our body) is the day our lives will be judged and our next destination determined.

And God is saying that those who hear such a His messenger's teachings and apply them will be prepared for their day of judgment - the death of their body - while others, who did not heed His messengers, will be doomed to resuming life in hell.

Jesus uses the word “Elijah” as it is used by God in Malachi. This means Jesus is applying the word “Elijah” to John the Baptist because he sees John as one of God's messengers. Let's consider this exchange between Jesus and his students regarding Elijah:

The disciples asked him, "Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?" Jesus replied, "To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands." (Matt. 17:10-12)

From this we know that Jesus considered John the Baptist - his teacher - as Elijah, as John was persecuted just as Jesus would be.

But note that Jesus also states, "To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things." Is he still speaking specifically of John the Baptist here - the person whose head was cut off by Herod?

Rather, Jesus is communicating that Elijah is a position rather than a particular person. This might be compared to saying something like, "the colonel walks in front of his troops." While the word colonel can be used specifically to describe a particular person, it can also be used to describe any person who occupies that position.

This is why Jesus uses the word Elijah as a title: “he was the Elijah” - rather than simply that John was Elijah.

In Malachi above, the Supreme Being instructs the nation of Israel to listen carefully to His devoted messengers of God (i.e., prophets whose God is Yah), for these empowered teachers will change the hearts of the people, and bring them back to God. As for those who do not heed the teachings of His messengers, God says, the land of those people will be cursed.

This is clearly a statement of: 'Listen and heed the teachings of My messengers and return to me, or be prepared to face the problems of the physical world alone.' This is not only clear but logical, because it is the Supreme Being who ultimately saves us from the physical world. Furthermore, the Supreme Being is behooving us to listen to His messengers and heed their instructions, of which the most important is to love God with all our heart and soul - before each of us has our "day" where we "meet our Maker."

What does 'least in the kingdom ...' mean?

There is considerable discussion among Biblical historians that part of Jesus' statement was added to the earliest manuscripts. That phrase is:

"yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he."

This phrase indicates a possible addition during the period where two factions existed - those who understood the relationship between John and Jesus and those who wanted to decrease John's stature in order to promote Jesus. The existence of these two sentiments in the years following Jesus' departure has been surmised from other sources. There is a translation of an early Hebrew version of Matthew that excludes this part of Jesus' statement.

Whether this phrase was added or not, it is clear from the rest of the statement that Jesus was a devoted follower and disciple of John. 

We cannot overlook that Jesus received baptism from John - a rite of given to symbolize a student's commitment to the doctrine of the teacher. 

We cannot overlook Jesus' statements of praise for John, including the above. And we cannot overlook the reality that Jesus taught the same thing as John, and that Jesus instructed his own disciples to also teach the same thing.

“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net ...” (Matthew 13:47-51)

“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Have you understood all these things?” (Matthew 13:47-51)

What does the 'net' symbolize in Jesus' analogy?

Here Jesus compares the kingdom of heaven to a net let down to catch fish. Why a net? A net symbolizes the effort that the Supreme Being makes to bring us back to Him. 

In more practical terms, the net descends at the death of the physical body. Every physical body will die. At the time of death the soul, the spirit-person, will leave the physical body and ascend into the realm of the spirit.

It is here that our consciousness and activities during this lifetime are accounted for. This moment, also characterized as "judgment day" is compared by Jesus to the fishermen sorting out the fish.

Notice that the "bad" fish are "thrown away" in Jesus' parable. What does "thrown away" mean? 

Since the fishermen are on the shore, it means the fish are thrown back into the water.

This is particularly important because Jesus then compares the fishermen separating the fish with angels who will separate the "wicked from the righteous."

In this case, Jesus describes how the angels will treat the "wicked." He says they will, "throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."

What does this mean from a practical standpoint?

How will the 'angels come and separate the wicked'?

Once we leave our physical body at the time of death, each of us is sorted according to our consciousness and activities carried out during our lifetimes, just as the fishermen sorted the fish in Jesus' parable: "Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away."

The concept of the fish being "thrown away" in Jesus' analogy means those fish were thrown back into the water. In the same way, those who have not attempted to develop a more spiritual, loving consciousness, and growing closer to God will need more development. This means we will be tossed back into the physical world to continue learning.

Yes, this physical world is set up for learning. We are each given a physical body that is equipt for experiencing physical pleasure and physical pain. This accompanies a mind that can experience psychological pleasure and psychological pain.

This physical world is designed as a place of consequences. This means consequences that reflect not only what effects we have had on others, (“as you sow, so shall you reap”) but also to our level of learning.

For example, a person may have committed a wrong against someone else and feels very sorry. They regret what they did. Such a person may still suffer consequences for that action. But the consequences will also be relative to the degree of learning they have experienced.

The purpose of consequences is not punitive. It is rehabilitative. A person who has empathy and understands the harm they have done and feels sorry, the consequences will reflect that.

But a person who commits a wrong against someone and does not feel they have done anything wrong will typically receive the brunt of the consequences. That is because they need to not only learn what they did was wrong. They will also need to learn what it was like bearing the brunt of what harm they caused to someone else.

This can also occur to some degree within many legal systems, as judges and juries will also take into account the remorse of the person on trial.

This is similar to the way consequences work on the physical world because this is a place designed by God to help us to grow spiritually - which means learning about love and how to love others. This is preparation for learning to redevelop our loving relationship with God.

If we have utilized our life to grow spiritually, then according to Jesus, we may not be "thrown away" - which means being put back into the physical world to begin another lifetime of learning.

What about the 'gnashing of teeth and weeping'?

What is the physics of this? The body is dead. The teeth are decomposing. How can decomposing teeth gnash? The eyes also decompose so there can be no weeping. 

The only way for this to occur is if the spirit-person is given a new body, complete with teeth that can “gnash” and eyes that can “weep.”

After the death of this body, the self-centered soul will be put back into another physical body in new circumstances. And what might those circumstances be? They will be specifically supplied in the form of a unique physical body and environment - designed precisely to learn certain lessons and face consequences for choices made in a previous lifetime.

This also answers that question posed by many about why there is suffering in the world. Why are some born into situations where they are subject to starvation, war, and rape, while others are born into wealthy families in relatively safe regions? Why are some born into healthy bodies and others born into sick or deformed bodies? Does this mean that God is not fair - they ask?

The Supreme Being is certainly fair. Those who are born into hellish situations are experiencing the consequences of what they inflicted upon others. They are experiencing suffering precisely as they caused others to suffer.

The Supreme Being set up a perfect system. We get put into precisely the situations we created for others when we had a choice. This is the true definition of "reaping what we have sown." This also allows the state of "gnashing of teeth and weeping" that Jesus is describing.

Each of us who occupies a physical body is living in a relative degree of hell, depending upon our consciousness and consequences from past activities. Our body is designed to teach us specific lessons. And whatever our body's physical suffering, it is caused by our previous choices and/or the lessons we need to learn.

But we are always offered a way out of this hellish dimension. This is Jesus' point.

Should we choose to use our lifetimes to re-develop our relationship with the Supreme Being, we will be like the "good fish" of Jesus' parable. 

What does the 'end of the age' mean?

What does Jesus mean by the “end of the age”? Many have speculated a point in time in the future where the world ends and everyone is judged and sent to their respective places. This "apocalypse" scenario has been predicted by preachers and priests for centuries yet the end of the world has not come yet. Were they lying to us?

The problem with this theory is: Where do all the people go who die before this "apocalypse" arrives? To cover this “end of the age” interpretation, ecclesiastical teachers and their institutions have conjured a speculative concept called “purgatory.” This concept assumes that people will just wait in a limbo state after they die, waiting for the “end of the age.”

This would mean, of course, that billions upon billions of people have been waiting in this limbo state for thousands of years (all the way back to the dawning of man?). This ridiculous postulation means that trillions of people are hanging out in this purgatory state, all waiting to be judged and waiting for the "second coming." What are they doing all this time? Is it like a big Cocoon movie or something? Does this really make sense? And where did Jesus (or any prophet) say this?

This concept of purgatory is simply speculation based upon mistranslated and misinterpreted text. The word "age" is translated from the Greek word αἰών (aiōn), which means, according to the lexicon: "period of time, age."

The "age" that Jesus is speaking of is the "age" related to the lifespan of those he is speaking to. What other "age" could he be speaking of? Isn't he speaking personally to people regarding their spiritual welfare? Certainly, Jesus is not a historian, speaking in terms of a certain future event in time, an event that would occur outside the timeframe of those he was speaking to.

Thus, the “end of the age” Jesus spoke of relates to that day each physical body dies. Each of our bodies have an “age” right? And there is a day and time when each body dies, right? At this point, it is the end of our aging, right? So it is merely logical to conclude that the “end of the age” for each of us is the day each of our bodies dies.

The event of bodily death is common to each of us. Every body must die. Therefore, each of us shares a common event: our bodies will die, and they will cease to age, and thus this is the "end of the age."

What takes place upon our leaving the body at the time of death? This has been confirmed among thousands of cases of clinical death: Once a person's body clinically dies, the person floats above the body, watching it as it lies at the deathbed. 

Jesus makes it clear in his statement that we are judged for our lifetimes and the angels will separate the "wicked from the righteous."

The word "righteous" comes from the Greek word δίκαιος (dikaios), which means "observing divine laws" according to the lexicon. The essence of "divine laws" according to Jesus and Moses is to love the Supreme Being with all our hearts and love others.

At the time of our body's death (the "end of the age") we will be able to leave this hellish dimension and return to the spiritual dimension. We will be carried back home by the angels into the loving arms of God, Who has been patiently awaiting our return to Him.

Why has this been misunderstood?

The key reason Jesus' statement has been misinterpreted is because of a lack of understanding regarding our identity. This is the key essence of Jesus' teachings:

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul." (Matthew 10:27)

“Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.” (Matthew 8:22)

"The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." (Matthew 25:42 and Mark 14:39)

"But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him." (Luke 12:5)

Jesus is clear: bodies do not dance on graves, nor do they wait in purgatory. They decompose. This is verified scientifically simply by digging up a buried body. In fact, during the body's lifetime, every molecule in our body is recycled at least every five years (also scientifically established).

This means the body we wear today is a different body we wore five years ago. What is constant? We still exist, yet our body is constantly changing composition. What remains unchanged is the living spirit - the person - the soul - who temporarily occupies the physical body for a temporary period of time (“the age”).

God knows that we will only be happy when we re-establish our loving relationship with Him. The net symbolizes His process of bringing us out of the physical world and bringing those who want to return to Him back home.

The kingdom of heaven is about our relationship with God. The word "kingdom" is translated from the Greek word βασιλεία (basileia), meaning "royal power, kingship, dominion, rule; not to be confused with an actual kingdom but rather the right or authority to rule over a kingdom."

Jesus is not referring to a physical location. He is referring to a particular consciousness. The consciousness of loving and serving the Supreme Being.  

“To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things ....” (Matthew 17:11-12)

The disciples asked him, “Why then do the teachers of the law say that Elijah must come first?” Jesus replied, “To be sure, Elijah comes and will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but have done to him everything they wished. In the same way the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was talking to them about John the Baptist.(Matthew 17:10-13)

Why does Elijah must come first?

Jesus is discussing a verse in Malachi:

"See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes.” (Malachi 4:5) 

Some claim that God was foretelling that the prophet Elijah would come again before the “messiah” will come. They interpret "that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes" as the day the "messiah" comes down to the earth and everyone will at the same time be judged for their sins and their faith in God. 

This may be based upon words of scripture, but the interpretation is incorrect. Let's clarify this.

Here is the complete statement in the Book of Malachi on this topic:

“You have said, ‘It is futile to serve God. What did we gain by carrying out His requirements and going about like mourners before the Lord Almighty? But now we call the arrogant blessed. Certainly, the evildoers prosper, and even those who challenge God escape.’”

Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in His presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored His Name.

“They will be mine,” says the Lord Almighty, “in the day when I make up my treasured possession, I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.

“Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day is coming will set them on fire,’ says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere My Name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall. Then you will trample down the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I do these things,’ says the Lord Almighty.

Remember the law of My servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel.

“See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.” (Malachi 3:14-4:6)

Who is Elijah?

The prophet Elijah of the Old Testament (Kings - before Malachi) was a servant of the Supreme Being. 
Elijah's devotion to God is captured with his name:

The word Elijah arose from a translation of:
“He who comes in the Name of God,”
or “He who reveres the Name of God,”
or “Yahweh is my God.”

Thayer states the following about Elijah:

"Elijah, a prophet born at Thisbe, the unflinching champion of the theocracy in the reigns of the idolatrous kings Ahab and Ahaziah. He was taken up to heaven without dying, whence the Jews expected he would return just before the advent of the Messiah, whom he would prepare the minds of the Israelites to receive."

Thus we see from Jesus' quoting of Malachi and this statement that Elijah is supposed to appear just prior to the advent of a certain Messiah. In this context, it relates to the appearance of John the Baptist appearing just prior to Jesus.

How could Elijah come again as John the Baptist?

The verse in Malachi combined with Jesus' statement regarding John the Baptist also means something else. It means that Jesus and his disciples accepted reincarnation as a reality.

How else could Elijah have come again as John the Baptist?

This is why Jesus says, "they did not recognize him." The reason they didn't recognize him is because the spirit-person is unseen by the physical eyes. The spirit-person (or soul) exists in another dimension - even though it is the source of our consciousness.

So how did Elijah become John the Baptist? The key is understanding that the physical body is not the same as the spirit-person. The physical body is like a car that the spirit-person gets into and drives for a few decades.

After the physical body wears out or is otherwise killed, the spirit-person leaves that physical body. Just as a driver of a car gets out of the car after he parks the car and turns the keys off.

Just as a person can get out of one car and then get inside another car and drive it around, the spirit-person or soul leaves the physical body at the time of death. Then that spirit-person can return to the physical world, but in a different body.

This is apparently what has taken place in the case of Elijah. The spirit-person of Elijah reincarnated into the physical body of John the Baptist.

This is not the first indication that Jesus' disciples accepted that reincarnation was a reality. Remember in John 9 the question asked by Jesus' disciples:

“Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” (John 9:2)

Because the man would have had to live before in order to have sinned, and he was 'born blind' we know this question specifically relates to the acceptance of reincarnation. That is the only way the man could have sinned prior to this lifetime.

What is the 'great and dreadful day'?

Notice that in Malachi above, God says that Elijah will come before the “great and dreadful day.” God will be sending, prior to this “day,” one of His loving servants (as we know that God has many loving servants, not just one), who will represent Him, and teach His message.

So what is this “day” anyway? If we were to assume the interpretations that many Christians make of Malachi and Jesus’ statement here, then the “day” where all the evildoers would be trampled to ashes would have had to be when Jesus came, since that “day” would follow “Elijah” - who Jesus states here has already come, and the disciples understand Jesus to be referring to Jesus' teacher, John the Baptist.

So when did the "great and dreadful day" occur during Jesus' life? Jesus does say that Elijah has already come. So when did the wicked get trampled, and the fires burn them to ashes? Did it occur during Jesus' life? How about when he was crucified? How come the wicked seemed to do just fine after the crucifixion? The Romans went on to control the region and eventually control the new sectarian church - they certainly did not get trampled.

Could they have also been wrong about their interpretation of the 'great and dreadful day'?

In reality, this “day of reckoning,” quite simply, is the day our physical body dies.

Each of us is wearing a physical body that will one day, die. This “day” will be the point of reckoning for each of us. We will have to reckon with the decisions and actions we made throughout our physical lives.

For those who lived their lives trying to grow in their love and faith for God, this “great and dreadful day” will be a great day. As God said through Malachi: “But for you who revere my Name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall.”

Let’s think about this clearly: For each of us, this day is coming for each of us: It would simply not make sense to say that this day is coming at a time in the future after we were dead.

That would mean that we (and billions upon billions of others) would have to wait around in some kind of fictitious waiting room ("purgatory?") after we died for this day, which occurs thousands of years after some of these people have died. Does this make any sense? Is God limited to having just one day of reckoning?

Why hasn't this 'day' come?

So we must now ask, why has this “day” not come yet? Why has the world not been destroyed, and everyone trampled? Hasn't Elijah in the form of John the Baptist come?

Even more puzzling is that according to the institutional temple teachers, the “messiah” (and the "day") has not come yet. They are still awaiting the Messiah, and maintain that Jesus was not the messiah.

Some sectarians maintain that while the Messiah came, he didn't really come in the way foretold in Malachi. In other words, Jesus is supposed to come again: A second coming.

According to their interpretation, it is this "second coming" that will supposedly bring upon the earth the trampling and burning of the wicked.

Many institutions and their teachers who claim to follow Jesus insist that the 'second coming' will also take place at the 'end of the world.' Yet as Jesus states, Elijah already came a second time, in the form of John the Baptist.

This means the institutional temple officials didn't recognize Elijah when he appeared again.

What is judgment day?

The day of reckoning is also spoken of as a day of judgment: "Judgment day." Yes, each of us will be judged for our lifetimes at the time of death. This is our judgment day. God also says through Malachi that the day will be preceded by Elijah. Yes, God sends His loving servants to the earth to pass on His message throughout time - as confirmed by Jesus in Matthew 17:11-12.

If we desire to hear the truth about God and desire to return to Him, we are shown this person. For those who do not wish to return to God, they will not be paying any attention because they are too focused upon the mad chase for the illusory pleasures of the physical world.

Those who utilize this human form of life to harm and abuse others without repentance will face a "dreadful day" upon leaving the body. At the time of death, when those beings leave their dying bodies, they will be faced with the consequences of their actions.

As for those who decide they want to return to God during this lifetime, they will be guided back to their loving relationship with God. For them, the time of death ("day") will not be dreaded. On this day, God and some of His servants will come to embrace and welcome that person back into the spiritual world. Carefully consider these statements from Malachi:

A scroll of remembrance was written in His presence concerning those who feared [honored] the Lord and honored His Name. “They will be mine,” says the Lord Almighty, “in the day when I make up my treasured possession, I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not. (Malachi 3:16-17)

For Jesus and his disciples, they all accepted John the Baptist as that great Teacher of the Truth who came in the Name of God, to teach them the truth, just as Elijah did. 

Jesus was a close follower of John the Baptist. Jesus accepted John as his teacher, evidenced by John's baptism of Jesus. And since Jesus also baptized his followers, we see there is a linkage between John's teachings and Jesus' teachings.

Also by his statements, it is obvious that Jesus was a devoted follower of John the Baptist.

How is this about John the Baptist?

After Jesus says that Elijah already came again, Jesus proceeds to discuss the life of John the Baptist, whom he considered a Prophet.

Jesus is condemning those who persecuted John the Baptist along with those who stood by and did nothing. This is the mark of a devoted student. Jesus was, as he wanted each of his disciples to pass on his teachings as he had passed on the teachings of those before him. This continues the succession or lineage of prophets and teachers, allowing this ancient knowledge to be passed on even to today.

Many think of the Old Testament as a history of Israel, but rather, it was intended to be a history of a lineage of devoted servants of God, who also taught others to be devoted to God. That is, until institutional scribes misinterpreted and mistranslated this important history. Jesus was part of this lineage, and he wanted his students to also be part of it.

Certainly, Jesus' humility regarding the position of Elijah ("one who comes in the Name of the Lord") is illustrated here. Jesus condemns those who heard the teachings of John the Baptist and disregarded those teachings: "Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him."

Jesus certainly did not disregard John's teachings. Like a faithful student and loving servant of God and his teacher, Jesus passed those teachings on, and asked his students to pass them on further. This is evidenced by these three verses:

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near." (Matthew 3:1-2)

From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” (Matthew 4:17)

[Jesus instructing his students] "As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’" (Matthew 10:7)

"... to suffer at their hands.”

This statement illustrates that just as John the Baptist had to suffer for his teachings and service to God, Jesus too would suffer for those same teachings and service. Why did they suffer? They suffered so that we might listen and learn the Truth.

Who, then, is the "Messiah?" The true Messiah (Savior) is the Supreme Being Himself - Christos in Greek. Thus anyone the Supreme Being empowers as His representative and teaches and lives His message is, by virtue of representing God, delivering the message of the Messiah - our Savior. And what is that central message the Messiah delivers? An invitation back home, into God's loving Arms:

" 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." (Matt. 22:37-38)

“The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men...” (Matthew 17:22-23)

“The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” (Matthew 17:22-23)

Why did Jesus tell them he would be 'delivered into the hands of men'?

When Jesus returned to Galilee, he described the sacrifice he would be making in the coming days.

Jesus didn't have to tell his disciples what was going to happen to him. Why did he then? Because Jesus wanted them to be prepared to lose him.

Following being told, his disciples were grief-stricken:

And the disciples were filled with grief. (Matt. 17:23)

Jesus wanted them to be sure that not only did he know the sacrifice he would face. The word "delivered" is translated from the Greek word παραδίδωμι (paradidōmi) which means, according to the lexicon, "to give into the hands of another" or "to give over into (one's) power or use."

And "men" is translated from the Greek word ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos), which can mean "men" or "mankind" or "humanity."

Jesus is distinguishing between being given to mankind or men from being given to the Supreme Being. In the latter, one will be protected and sheltered. But in the former, Jesus knew he faced the wrath of men. Why? Because he understood that he threatened the power and authority of the high priests among the temple institution. This is because Jesus was God's representative.

What does he mean by 'kill him' and 'raised to life'?

He also wanted them to understand that the real Jesus - the spiritual person within - will rise after the death of the physical body.

Jesus describes the ascension as “life.” Why life? Actually, the original Greek does not mention "life." It simply ends with raised - or raised up - from the Greek word ἐγείρω (egeirō) which means "to arouse, cause to rise" according to the lexicon.

Thus we can understand from this that Jesus is not speaking of death here. The word "kill" is translated from ἀποκτείνω (apokteinō) which refers to mortal death - the death of the physical body.

So what will rise then - from the physical body? We know that Jesus is saying that the physical body will be killed, so what will rise must not be the physical body. This is confirmed later when Mary and others do not recognize Jesus when he rises. They do not recognize him because the physical body did not rise - the spiritual person within - Jesus himself - rose.

We can see elsewhere that Jesus made a distinction between the physical body and the spiritual person within - also referred to as the "soul":

"Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul." (Matthew 10:28)

We can see how Jesus is discriminating between the physical body and the spiritual person within. The spiritual person (spirit-person) is eternal while the biological body is temporary. The point Jesus is making is that we are not the physical body. 

The physical body typically has a lifespan of 50-100 years, after which the spirit-person leaves the body. Then the body decomposes.

Did Jesus really 'rise' in three days?

If we go by the timeline of the four Gospels, Jesus didn't reappear to his followers after three days. He appeared to them after two days.

If Jesus was crucified on Friday afternoon, and he reappeared to his followers on Sunday morning, that would be two days following the crucifixion. 

The 'third day' would be Monday.

This makes the timeline questionable unless we count the day of the crucifixion as day one. In other words, if Jesus is suggesting that on day three he will reappear, that would work with the timeline, as we assume day one is the beginning of the timeline.

Whether the timeline is accurate, the central proposition is that Jesus is suggesting that he will reappear to his followers two days after being crucified. How did he do that?

Jesus appeared much as an angel might appear in this world. Jesus' body died and his spirit-person was able to reappear through an apparition of sorts. Why?

Jesus was visiting his followers in a last-ditch effort to convince them to devote themselves to God so they could return home to the Supreme Being - and bring others with them. Consider this statement, made by Jesus, while in an angel-like body days after the death of his body:

"Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:15)

How do we know that Jesus had left his body and appeared before his followers in an angel-like body? Consider this statement from Mark:

Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country. (Mark 16:12)

Thus we can know that Jesus left his physical body behind. Otherwise, they would have recognized him. He appeared once more before his followers, pleading with them to continue his teachings. He wanted them to take on the responsibility of teaching humanity about God. He wanted them to bring home others, as he had.

That is why Jesus referred to himself as the "Servant of Humanity" (a more appropriate translation of υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου than "Son of Man").

Did Jesus die for our sins?

Many teach that Jesus died for our sins. Is that really true?

When Jesus returned to Galilee, he described the sacrifice he would be making in the coming days. The account of Jesus' trial from the four Gospels indicates that Jesus was persecuted because of his teachings. Both Pilate and the Chief Priest were questioning Jesus about his teachings: Did he say this or that.

During this questioning, Jesus would not retract his teachings. He stood by them.

This means that Jesus' sacrifice was about him making a stand regarding his teachings about the Supreme Being.

Just consider a person who was to teach something and the government or another dominant institution were to condemn the teaching and threaten the teacher with death if the teacher doesn't stop teaching those things?

Most teachers would stop teaching those things because they didn't want to die.

Not Jesus. Jesus wasn't afraid. He was willing to be killed in order to continue teaching. He was ready to die for his teachings.

This is also indicated when Jesus appeared before his disciples after his persecution. He did not tell them that they had been saved by his crucifixion. Neither did he tell them to teach such a philosophy to others.

Rather, Jesus asked his disciples to take on disciples as he had, and pass his teachings on to others.

If we accept that Jesus' teachings can save us from our sinful nature, then we can accept that Jesus died for our sins.

Truly, Jesus' teachings can save us. In particular, we can identify his 'greatest' teaching:

“ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matt. 22:37-40)

"For then there will be great distress, unequaled ..." (Matthew 24:21-34)

"For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Messiah!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you ahead of time. So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the wilderness,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe it. For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. Immediately after the distress of those days 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened." (Matthew 24:21-34)

What was the 'great distress'?

Often this part of Jesus’ private discussion with his disciples is misinterpreted to mean that the end of the world is at hand. This is despite the fact that Jesus is warning those around him, who obviously did not experience the end of the world during their lifetimes.

If we read Jesus’ statement carefully, we can see clearly by the last sentence that Jesus was foretelling events that would transpire during the next few decades:

“I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened."

“This generation” clearly indicates an event to take place during the lives of those who were living at the time Jesus spoke this. Jesus spoke this about the year 32 AD, and many of his disciples were in their 20s or 30s at the time.

This 'end of the world' interpretation took hold during the Roman government's captivity of Jesus' teachings, which began during the Fourth Century and continued for over 1,000 years. It was made prominent by a number of the Roman bishops and Popes, who continued to warn people that if they didn't keep up their support of the church things would not end well for them at the 'end of the world,' which was continually being warned of being 'at hand.'

Yet this threat during out to be an empty one, because the world never ended.

So what is Jesus' warning them about?

Jesus was warning his followers about the impending Jewish-Roman wars, which lasted from 60 AD to about 140 AD. During this period, the Romans massacred the Israelites and early Christians, burnt down most of their cities and villages, and scattered those remaining among desert hideaways. No wonder the Roman interpretation of Jesus' warning was obscured and replaced with the doomsday theory.

This Roman misinterpretation led to an endless parade of doomsday prophets, who continued to predict the end of the world and the "second coming" in error over the centuries.

Two centuries after the Romans massacred the Israelites and early Christians, the early Bible canon was assembled by scribes appointed by Eusebius by order of Emperor Constantine. The Bible was put together and translated to the Roman native Latin from texts that were strategically chosen. Hundreds of other scripture texts were burned.

The Romans conveniently buried the evidence of their first- and second-century holocaust. In fact, the only way historians learned of the wars and any details was the late discovery of the writings of one Jewish scholar, Josephus.

The Jewish-Roman wars were followed by two centuries of Roman brutality against the Israelites and early Christians. 

Were the Jewish-Roman wars that bad?

Were these years as bad as Jesus is describing here? The historian Josephus described the events that unfolded as “savagery,” “butchery,” “torture,” “reign of terror,” “sham courts,” and “faked trials.”

This was undoubtedly a brutal period, one which began with the revolt of the Israelites against the Romans due to intolerable conditions - and ended with the massacre of hundreds of thousands of Israelites. Early Christians were but a faction within the Jewish community during this period, and Jesus was trying to warn his disciples of conditions the near future would bring.

For those who were living at the time, the destruction was really that bad. For anyone who has lived through such a holocaust, it does seem worse than what Jesus is warning: "unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again." Each human holocaust has been somewhat different, but for those who experienced them, they are each unequal when considering their effects upon individuals.

Consider, for example, those 6 million Jews who experienced the German holocaust. Or consider those who experienced the atomic bombs of Hiroshima or Nagasaki. These events certainly were unequal in comparison, but for those who experienced them, they were devastating to no end. They were both cataclysmic events for those victims that experienced them.

Who were the 'false messiahs and false prophets'?

Jesus also predicts “false messiahs” and those saying “here is the messiah!” What does this mean? The word “messiah” is being translated from the Greek word Χριστός (Christos), meaning “messiah” or “anointed one.” The word reflects the Hebrew word, מָשִׁיחַ, which also means "messiah" or “anointed one.” The origin of the word comes from the description of God’s priests, who were His chosen representatives. This is seen among numerous verses of the Old Testament. Here are but a few:

[God said to Moses] "Anoint Aaron and his sons and consecrate them so they may serve Me as priests." (Exodus 30:30)

Those were the names of Aaron's sons, the anointed priests, who were ordained to serve as priests. (Numbers 3:3)

When they arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, "Surely the LORD's anointed stands here before the LORD." (1 Samuel 16:6)

In every instance above, the word "messiah" could be inserted instead of "anointed." So the word “messiah” or “anointed one” is a role, not an individual person. We might compare it with the word “Lieutenant.” An individual who is a Lieutenant might be called “Lieutenant,” but there have been many Lieutenants in the army. In the case of "messiah," it is describing the role of being God's representative.

Thus, Jesus is describing a period where there will be many who will claim the position of being God’s representative when they are not.

Examples of this, as described by Josephus, include John of Gischala, Ananus, Simon Magus, some of the Zealots, and others who tried to become spiritual leaders during this period of crisis. Jesus is trying to warn his disciples against these charismatic but false teachers, so they would stay the course, and continue to follow Jesus’ instructions.

Since then, we have seen a parade of false messiahs and false prophets over the centuries among sectarian institutions. They deceived many, and some harmed their followers in other ways.

Was Jesus quoting Isaiah?

Then Jesus says: “Immediately after the distress of those days ‘the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’” 

What does this mean?

This phrase is a quote from Isaiah, who was speaking for God as he predicted the fall of Babylon. It states that it is 'An oracle concerning Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz saw: (Isaiah 13:1):

The stars of heaven and their constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light. (Isaiah 13:10)

So what are Jesus and Isaiah talking about here? They are each describing separate events – Jesus is describing the fall of Jerusalem and the Jewish massacre at the hands of the Romans and Isaiah is describing the fall of Babylon. But they both bring this concept of the darkening of the sun and the weakening of the stars. Why?

This is because both events resulted in great fires as cities were being burned. These fires created great smoke, which darkens the sun and stars. We can see this from the fires of the Western United States. The sun becomes dark and the stars are not visible for many days during and after large fires.

Both events also resulted in mass deaths - creating a double entendre. During both the fall of Babylon and the fall of Jerusalem at the hands of the Romans, many were massacred - much of the population of those cities.

Likewise, at the time of death, as the eyes of a dying person are closing, the sun is darkened and the stars disappear - this marks the spiritual being leaving the physical body.

Was it a cataclysm?

This brings us to the next topic of Jesus’ discussion. While many have interpreted Jesus’ words to be describing some cataclysmic worldwide event thousands of years later, followed by Jesus riding over the clouds on horseback (oh, really?) what is actually being described is quite different.

Jesus is describing massive deaths, followed by events that unfold for each person at the moment of death.

Jesus is describing that he will there for each of his disciples and students - who followed and even spread his teachings – at their particular time of death. He will be there to escort each of them back to the spiritual dimension.

Yes, Jesus uses some allegory and symbolism to describe these events, primarily because the technology of what happens at the time of death is quite foreign to the mind, and the best way to describe what happens is to use allegory. For example, Jesus compares lightning coming from the east to his appearance after their death. This is an analogy.

We can see the gross mistranslation of Jesus' statements here when we consider the source of what is being translated into “the coming.” The Greek word is παρουσία (parousia), which is primarily used to describe someone’s “presence.” While it can describe an “arrival,” this is within the context of “appearance,” or “advent” according to the lexicon. Thus, Jesus is saying that he will be “present,” or will "appear" to them.

This is confirmed by the next sentence, which includes the phrase, “the son of man will appear in the sky.” Again, παρουσία is being used, but after this, we find the word οὐρανός (ouranos) used. This word is not as simple as “sky.”

According to Thayer's lexicon, the word can mean “the universe,” “the world,” “the aerial heavens or sky, the region where the clouds and the tempests gather, and where thunder and lightning are produced,” “the sidereal or starry heavens,” “the region above the sidereal heavens, the seat of order of things eternal and consummately perfect where God dwells and other heavenly beings.”

So to interpret this word as “sky” is simplistic and inaccurate. Jesus was talking about a deeper context here. Usually, real people do not appear or become present in the “sky.” Rather, an “appearance” or "presence" that takes place in οὐρανός is referring to a deeper realm.

And what is that deeper realm? It is the realm of the spiritual - the spiritual realm.

What happens when the body dies?

Each of us is spiritual - we are not these physical bodies. This fact is illustrated through scientific research during clinical death cases. There have been hundreds of thousands of documented clinical death cases now.

These have revived patients describing floating up above their body and looking down upon the body. They describe being able to travel very quickly to other locations and observe family members and other events.

Researchers have followed up on many thousands of these episodes and verified that the person indeed did see actual events – all the while their body lay lifeless in a hospital bed.

Many also describe moving to another space where they were met up by others. Some describe seeing Jesus, while others describe seeing angels. In most of these cases, these individuals or groups were described as having a purpose of escorting the person to their next destination.

In many cases, their life is judged at that point. While the process is short-circuited in such a case when the body is revived, this illustrates the reality that we are not these physical bodies: We are of another substance - a spiritual substance.

What does the fig tree analogy mean?

Jesus is describing a period of time where the populations of Israel and Judea - including some if not all of his disciples - would be slaughtered by the Romans. Directly following each spiritual person being forced out of the body at death, their life is judged, and they are escorted to their next destination.

This is the reason why death has also been described as "Judgement Day.")

Jesus is describing the fact that upon the death of those who followed his teachings and re-developed their loving relationship with God, Jesus and other angels of God (the “He” in “He will send His angels” is God) will appear to them to escort them back to the spiritual world. This is the event being discussed, and the basis for the myths that have been developed by many ecclesiastical Christian teachers described as Jesus' "second coming."

Jesus confirms this with his parable about the fig tree. He describes that when the twigs become tender, one can know summer is nearing. This is an analogy for death. When this sort of mass war breaks out, one can know that death is likely.

This is confirmed with his next statement, saying that “Even so [in the same way], when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door.” What is the “it” being described here? The Greek word εἰμί (eimi) is being translated to "it" here. This relates to something existing or being present. What is it? Many translators have taken this to mean there must be a person present, so they have translated this to mean “He is near.”

Within this context, we can see that “right at the door,” confirms that the "it" Jesus is discussing is death. When the moment of death is near, most people – as does Jesus – use the analogy of there being a doorway, because of the drastic change from being in the body to leaving the body – or as many say, “passing away.” In reality, at the time of death, the inner person - the spirit-person - suddenly slips from being within the body, to being outside of the body. Thus it is certainly accurate to use the word "doorway" while discussing this event - death.

It should be added that while the translators have managed to translate these words as though Jesus were God, Jesus describes himself in a more humble manner. As discussed previously, the correct translation of the Greek phrase, υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου - Jesus’ self-description - is not "son of man." The more accurate translation would be "servant of humanity".

The bottom line is that in this discussion - taking place privately between Jesus and his disciples - Jesus was forewarning them of events that would unfold during their lifetimes. He was telling them that they do not need to follow anyone else, but simply follow his teachings. He was also telling them that they would likely be killed during the massacres by the Romans, but that they should not worry, because he and God’s angels ("His elect") will be there for them at the time of death to escort them back to the spiritual dimension.

This was Jesus’ life. He was not sent by God down to the earth to threaten people and make them afraid by predicting the end of the world was coming. He came to the earth to teach us to love and serve God:

“My teaching is not my own. It comes from the One who sent me." (John 7:16)

Why? Because Jesus wants us to re-develop our loving relationship with God. Why? Because the Supreme Being wants us back. God wants us to come home. God knows we will only be happy when we return to our home in the spiritual realm - and our loving relationship with Him. This is also why the Supreme Being sent Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Noah, Jacob, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Job, David, Samuel, Solomon and others who all brought the same message: love and serve God; and give our hearts to God. And this is why Jesus' most important teaching was:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." (Matthew 22:37-38)

"As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming ..." (Matthew 24:38-43)

"As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come." (Matthew 24:38-43)

Was Jesus trying to scare people?

These statements by Jesus have been misconstrued, leading to mistranslations. The result has been to scare people with a threat of the end of the world. Is this what Jesus really meant?

Jesus is continuing his private (Matt. 24:3) discussion with some of his disciples. As we've shown in the previous verses, he is predicting a now-historical event along with its resulting effect:

1) The Jewish-Roman wars to come in the next few decades (starting around 66 AD) - a time when most of his disciples would be slaughtered along with hundreds of thousands if not millions of Israelites including many of Jesus' followers.
2) The moment of death, leading to Jesus' followers being reunited with Jesus in the spiritual realm.

Jesus' discussion, when the original Greek is examined, does not indicate he was predicting the end of the world. Neither is his statement consistent with an end of the world scenario.

Why would one person be taken and the other not taken if it were the end of the world? Some have tried to fictionalize, for example, that the followers of a certain sect will "inherit the earth" while others will be tossed away.

They imagine that 'inheriting the earth' is some kind of reward? What kind of reward would this be? The physical body is subject to pain, disease, and death. Danger pervades the physical world. Then there are polluted rivers and skies. Bacteria and viruses run rampant - infecting whatever they come into contact with. There are hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, freezing cold in some places and time of year, and sweltering heat in other places and time of year. Who would want to "inherit" such a world?

What could we 'inherit' here?

Would we be inheriting a bunch of rotting carcasses of those who died in the cataclysm? Or are they saying that the dead bodies are somehow "taken" away, leaving the earth nice and clean? 

Practically the entire planet is made up of decomposed carcasses.

How could a temporary physical body - which will get sick and die at some point - possibly inherit anything permanently? The earth is a temporary place of residence. It is not our home. Here, we reside in temporary bodies that will die and decompose.

Some of these sectarian institutions like to pitch this "inherit the earth" doctrine with their promotional literature. They draw pictures of people sitting around on lawn chairs sipping lemonade. This is their picture of inheriting the earth?

And where is God in their "inherit the earth" scenario? God is nowhere to be found in their drawings. They don't picture God because they don't want to see God. They want to rule the earth without God.

This is precisely our disease: We are here in this physical world, inhabiting these temporary physical bodies because we wanted to ignore God. We wanted to be in charge. We couldn't accept God being in charge. We wanted to get away from God, and play God.

This is what many institutions have accomplished within their doctrines. They pitch their followers can gain a place where they can be in charge without God getting in the way.

But this is not what Jesus taught. Jesus didn't teach that we should "inherit the earth." Jesus wanted us to return to the spiritual world and return to our natural position as God's loving servants:

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 7:21)

"For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother." (Matthew 12:50)

So if these sectarians want to inherit the earth then they can have it. They can have the suffering of the body. They can have the pain, disease, old age and death found here. And those who want to really follow Jesus' teachings can return to God in the kingdom of heaven and inherit eternal life.

With this misinterpretation debunked, we can now interpret clearly what Jesus was discussing above.

Why does this compare to the flood?

Jesus is comparing the mass slaughter of millions of Jews in the first century to the days of the flood of Noah because, in both instances, people died unprepared. In both cases, many died without having progressed in spiritual life. Jesus tells of the days before the flood when people were "eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage."

And what is so wrong with "eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage"? There is nothing wrong with these activities. However, Jesus is talking about not being prepared for death. He is talking about the people being oblivious to the fact that their bodies will be killed at any minute.

This is, in fact, our situation in general. Any of us can die today. Or tomorrow.

But what does Jesus mean by "one will be taken and the other left", then? By Jesus' description of the massacre and the historical events, we know both men in the field and both women at the hand mill will be killed by the Romans in the coming years: Very few survived the slaughter. So it is not as if one will vanish and the other will still be working away as if nothing happened.

The "one will be taken" is the person who has utilized their lives to re-develop their love for God. They will be taken back to the spiritual realm at the time of death.

The "other" who will be "left" is the person who will remain in the physical realm after the death of their current physical body. They will not have prepared for the time of death. They will return to the physical world by taking on another physical body.

It is comical that the sectarian teachers prefer being "left" rather than "taken". They want to remain in the physical realm, away from God. How could they describe themselves as Christians?

What about 'the coming of the Son of Man'?

The phrase "the coming of the Son of Man" has also been misinterpreted. Some interpretations imagine that Jesus will come galloping through the sky, whisking away all the baddies, and leaving the rest of the good folk to 'inherit the earth.'

Rather, Jesus is describing that he, the Servant of Humanity (υἱοῦ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου), will be present at the time of death to escort each person who followed his teachings back to the spiritual realm. "Coming" is being translated from the Greek παρουσία (parousia), which means to to be present or appear according to the lexicon.

"The coming" interpretation was developed by the politically motivated Nicene council organized by Eusebius of Caesarea and the Roman emperor Constantine. The objective was to organize the Christian world into a single unified political force.

What is Jesus saying then?

Jesus is speaking to his disciples as God's representative. He is telling them he will be there for them spiritually at the time of death - to escort them back to the spiritual realm. God's representative is our guide in life and our escort when we leave these bodies at the time of death. When he is present on the earth, he teaches us the tools to prepare for returning to our natural relationship with the Supreme Being.

This is what Jesus was trying to tell them. Jesus didn't make up his own teachings. He passed on the teachings of the Prophets and John the Baptist. These ultimately come from the Supreme Person. This is why Jesus constantly quoted the teachings of the Prophets of the Old Testament such as Isaiah, David, Moses, and Abraham.

Jesus quoted every book of the Torah during his teachings. He constantly quoted the Prophets.

And for this reason, God's representatives from the Old Testament were also described as servants of humanity - including Ezekiel, Job and David. Ezekiel was called the "son of man" [servant of humanity] at least 60 times by God. This is because like Jesus, Job and David were sent by God to retrieve those who are ready to return to Him, just as Jesus admitted about himself:

" “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the One who sent me." (John 9:4)

and

"For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken." (John 12:49)

The second phase of the task of retrieval is escorting our return. By following Jesus' teachings, we find that we are not only introduced to God: But should we become ready to return by following those teachings, we are then escorted back to the spiritual realm by Jesus. Jesus describes this as παρουσία - he will be there for us.

As such, Jesus also uses soliloquy in describing the time of death as "what day your Lord will come." This sort of soliloquy is actually still in use today, as many describe dying as "meeting your Maker".

And it is true: At the time of death, we all, in one way or another, "meet our Maker," as we are faced with one of God's angels or representatives who show us the results of our lives and the spiritual progress we've made - if any - in this lifetime. This is also referred to as "Judgement Day."

This clarifies Jesus' statement: "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come." Jesus is telling them to stay diligent because they do not know what day their bodies will die.

But by also describing his appearance to them on their moment of death, Jesus is explaining that should we follow his teachings, he will be there to guide us through the process and escort us back to the spiritual realm.

And this has been confirmed in many clinical death histories, as some people - those who tried to follow Jesus' teachings - describe leaving their body and being in the presence of Jesus. They describe him telling them they aren't ready yet, whereupon they return to their revived physical bodies.

The spiritual world is all about relationships. There are so many relationships going on there. The central of which is our natural relationship of loving and caring for the Supreme Person. All other relationships in the spiritual world revolve around our relationship with God.

This is why Jesus said (above) that by doing God's will, we will return to the spiritual world. 'Doing God's will' means serving Him. It means doing what pleases Him. This comes from love, and why love for God was Jesus' primary teaching:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matt. 22:37-40)

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins ...” (Matthew 25:1-13)

“At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish and five were wise. The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep. At midnight the cry rang out: ‘Here’s the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.’ ‘No,’ they replied, ‘there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.’ But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut. Later the others also came. ‘Sir! Sir!’ they said. ‘Open the door for us!’ But he replied, ‘I tell you the truth, I don’t know you.’ Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” (Matt. 25:1-13)

What does Jesus' parable of the ten virgins mean?

Jesus' parable is discussing spiritual life using an analogy. He spoke this during a time when an eligible bachelor would be greeted by potential wives - who according to custom were also virgins. The meeting would allow the bachelor to choose his wife or wives from among the group of maidens.

In Jesus' parable, he divides the ten virgins or maidens into two groups. One group took extra oil out with their lamps when they went to meet the bridegroom.

The other group of maidens did not bring any extra oil with their lamps. This means they only had the oil that was in the lamp.

As shown below, the analogy or parable is being used by Jesus to encourage his followers to redevelop their relationship with God.

The symbolism Jesus is using illustrates the mistake we can make in the physical world if we are not prepared to reconnect with the Supreme Being. If we are not resolute in this effort, according to Jesus our time will be wasted.

Let's discuss the symbolism of this analogical story - or parable - of the ten virgins and the bridegroom: 

Who are the 'virgins'?

The virgins represent each of us in Jesus' parable. We are each spiritual beings who were created by God to care for Him and exchange a relationship of loving service with Him. However, God also gave us the freedom to love Him or not. Love without freedom isn't really love after all.

Yet because love is part of our essence, each of us is constantly looking for love.

This is why the virgins were anxious to meet up with the bridegroom, just as we are all anxiously looking for someone to love.

They all fell asleep symbolizes how many of us have fallen asleep spiritually. Some of us may wake up and search for God.

Notice that some of the virgins missed the bridegroom because they were searching for oil. This symbolizes how some of us miss finding God because we are looking for love and happiness elsewhere among the people and places of the physical world.

Who is the 'bridegroom'?

The bridegroom in Jesus' parable represents the Supreme Being. God gathers up those who have used their physical lives to redevelop their loving relationship with Him. God wants all of us back, but only those who choose to return to Him become ready to resume our natural position of being His loving servants: Only these are let back.

This is because God only wants us back if we want to return to Him - and become committed. He never forces Himself upon us. If we want to continue our self-centered existence trying to enjoy ourselves and ignore Him, then we simply are not prepared to return to God. 

Those of us on this path remain in this hellish physical world by continuing to take on other physical bodies. This fate is symbolized by the five virgins that didn't have enough oil and had to go get some, thereby missing the arrival of the bridegroom.

What do the lamps and the oil symbolize?

The lamps of Jesus' parable symbolize the ability of those who love God to gain knowledge. Light has been used by Jesus in other analogies to represent wisdom, because with light one can see in the dark.

This physical world is in darkness because our senses and mind block the spiritual vision of our spirit-person. The concept of light in the darkness is analogous to being given the vision to understand God and the spiritual realm. 

Light also symbolizes the ability to help others with that wisdom. Those who have redeveloped their relationship with God can help others see - and gain wisdom.

The oil for the lamps symbolizes our relationship with God. No oil signifies no relationship, or a relationship of disdain, doubt or simply a state of ignoring the Supreme Being. Those of us who try hard to ignore God and His various lessons and signals throughout life have no oil, and thus give off no real light.

Jesus was very clear about this message. He didn't teach love of God just to entertain himself or be trendy. Many sectarian teachers focus on Jesus as though his mission was to die for our sins. This couldn't be further from the truth. Why did Jesus bother to teach, then? If the death of his physical body saves everyone, why did he spend years traveling the countryside preaching to people then?

And why did Jesus tell his disciples to also go out and teach to others, then?

This teaching that Jesus died for our sins avoids the necessity of this parable. Sure, we want an easy way out. We want to continue being focused upon ourselves and the goodies of the physical world, and then spend an hour in church on Sunday making sure that Jesus' death cleared out all our sins. The problem is, Jesus himself clarified that this would not work:

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" (Matthew 7:21-23)

Notice Jesus refers to "that day" in this statement, just as he does above. Again, Jesus is talking about that moment in time when we must face God and/or His angels - the moment after the death of this physical body.

What is 'the day or the hour'?

After Jesus' parable, he comments, "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.” What does this mean?

The parable spoken by Jesus is yet another analogy that explains the importance of our preparation for the moment of death. "At that time" refers to the time of death, just as "the day or the hour."

Many sectarian interpreters have taught that Jesus is referring to some time in the future where the world will end, and he'll come galloping through the sky to save those who have followed him.

This speculative interpretation has many holes, however. Remember that Jesus is discussing this privately with a few of his close disciples. Now if we consider that the world has yet to end, some two thousand years later, how are these disciples supposed to remain prepared, having died two thousand years before?

Some sectarian teachers have tried to cover this inconsistency by creating a fictitious "purgatory" state, where everyone who has died before the world ends supposedly waits. How are they waiting? And what are these billions of people doing while they wait? Just standing around, like its a cocktail party or something?

Some sectarians have supposed that people will be waiting in their graves for this end of the world scenario. In what form will they be waiting? Their bodies have thoroughly decomposed. For most, even their bones are now part of the surrounding soil.

In fact, many of Jesus' disciples that he was speaking to here, as did many Jews during the Jewish-Roman wars that Jesus foretold, were burned in fires, as the Romans burnt down Jerusalem and many other villages throughout the region. These burnt bodies decomposed even more quickly. Their remains are thus part of today's dirt of that region - all soil is made up of decomposed dead organisms.

Rather, Jesus is discussing the moment of death: That moment when each spirit-person within the physical body leaves that body.

Why is the time of death important?

Jesus discussed the time of death in his teachings frequently. Why?

Every body in the physical world will die. Every person will experience the moment of death within a few decades at least. Some of us will experience the moment of death within a few years, some even a few months, weeks or even days. Are we prepared for that moment?

This is the point of Jesus' discussion here.

A significant amount of evidence from scripture indicates - and clinical death experiences confirm - that just following the moment of death, we will be judged on the results of our physical lifetimes. Our lives will be reviewed, including every event that hurt someone and every event that helped someone.

As such, the moment of death has been called "Judgement Day" and the day we "Meet our Maker".

More importantly, our spiritual progress will be reviewed at the time of death. Did we use our lives to redevelop our relationship with God? Or did we squander our lives away chasing after money, fame, the opposite sex and other accomplishments that all vanish upon the moment of death?

Our spiritual accomplishments during this lifetime are permanent, however.

In Matthew 7:21 above, Jesus spoke of doing the "will of my Father who is in heaven". This means developing a loving service relationship with God.

It is not as if we simply do what God wants so that we get something in return. It is not a business transaction. It is supposed to be love. Doing what pleases another is part of a loving relationship.

If we love someone, we don't do what pleases them so we get something in return. We do what pleases them because we love them and care for them.

Jesus is asking us to redevelop our loving relationship with God. This was Jesus' most important teaching, and the teaching that if we follow will indeed save us:

“‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matthew 22:37-40)