The Name of Jerusalem

Disputed Etymology

The word Jerusalem is an anglicized transliteration of various forms of the Hebrew Yerushalaim and Syriac Ūrishlem, the etymology of which is disputed. In a predominantly oral culture, the pronunciation and phonetic spelling of words would naturally vary across multiple geographical regions and generations. The Greek philosopher Aristotle is reported as having described the name of this Jewish city “a very awkward one” (Josephus, Against Apion 1.22).

The place name was previously Salem, meaning “peaceful” (Gen. 14:18; Psa. 76:2). Seeing that the area was at one time inhabited by Canaanites (Josh. 10:1-5), one theory is that the designation was derived from the Canaanite deity Shalem (god of the sunset). But as far as documentary evidence is concerned, it was also called Jebus, due to the Jebusites who dwelt there (Josh. 18:28; 19:10; 1 Chron. 11:4),¹ so the name Jerusalem could be a combination of the two original monikers, Jebus + Salem.

In the context of promising an inheritance of peaceful rest and security (Deut. 12:10), God through Moses foretold of a particular place chosen to represent the Lord’s abiding presence and to serve as a centralized place of worship (vv. 6-26; cf. 14:23; 15:11-16). To the ancient Jews this was regarded as a possession of peace (cf. Psa. 122:1-9; Luke 19:41-42), thus yaresh (to “possess”) + shalom (“peace”) would be a fitting description.

Mount Moriah, one of the hills upon which the city was built, is where David erected an alter on the threshing floor purchased from Ornan the Jebusite and where Solomon later built the original temple (1 Chron. 21:18-28; 2 Chron. 3:1). Centuries earlier this is where Abraham was instructed to offer his son Isaac on an altar, and when the Lord provided a sacrificial ram, Abraham called the place Yahweh-yireh (Gen. 22:14a), a combination of God’s personal name + yireh (from the verbal rā’â), essentially meaning to “see.”² The expression, therefore, is literally “Yahweh sees,” though contextually he “sees [to it]” in the sense of providing (cf. vv. 8-13).³ The description was still familiar four centuries later in the time of Moses (“as it is said this day”), the inspired author who also recorded God’s promise of a specific place of worship and quiet rest in which the divine name would abide (Deut. 12:6-26). Accordingly, from a Jewish perspective, the name Jerusalem may very well carry the sense of Yahweh’s provision (yireh) of peace (shalom).

The City of David

After reigning in Hebron seven-and-a-half years, David captured and lived at the Jebusite fortress of Zion, around which Jerusalem was built and where he reigned another thirty-three years (2 Sam. 5:4-7; 1 Chron. 11:4-9). Prior to its extensive expansion, and in addition to his hometown of Bethlehem (Luke 2:4, 11), the new capital was called the City of David (2 Sam. 5:6-10; 6:10, 12, 16; 1 Kings 3:1; 8:1; 9:24; 11:27).

Zion

The southern mountain peak around which the city was built was Mount Zion, at one time separated from Mount Moriah (the Temple Mount) by the Tyropoeon Valley that was later filled. The name Zion came to be applied to the whole city (Psa. 51:18), to the tribe of Judah (Psa. 78:68), and even to the entire nation (Psa. 149:2), most often in prophetic and poetic literature. Depending on textual variation, the name occurs around 154 times in the Old Testament and only seven times in the New Testament.

Other Designations

Jerusalem was also referred to as “the city of God” (Psa. 46:4; 87:3), “the city of truth, the mountain of Yahweh of hosts, the holy mountain” (Zech. 8:2-3), and “the holy city” (Neh. 11:1, 18; Isa. 48:2; 52:1; Dan. 9:24; Matt. 4:5; 27:53). Prophetically it was called Hephzibah (“my delight is in her”) and “sought out, a city not forsaken” (Isa. 62:4, 12). 

In pronouncements of impending judgment, it was called “the Valley of Vision” (Isa. 22:1, 5), in contrast to its loftier mountainous environment, and Ariel (Isa. 29:1-7), a metonymy depicting the city as an “alter-hearth” [ariel] (cf. Ezek. 43:15-16) or perhaps a “lion [ari] of God [el].” After judgment the desolate city was sympathetically referred to as “the daughter of Zion” (Lam. 1:6; 2:1, 4, 8, 10, 18; 4:22), “the (virgin) daughter of Judah” (1:15; 2:2, 5, 13), and “the daughter of my people” (2:11; 3:48; 4:3, 6, 10).

Conclusion

While the name Jerusalem is shrouded in some degree of mystery, and a variety of other descriptive terms has been applied to the city, the church the Lord built here two millennia ago, having spread throughout the world, is now God’s dwelling place on earth and spiritual habitat of his people. “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven …” (Heb. 12:22-23a).

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ The Jebusites descended from Noah’s son Ham and grandson Canaan (Gen. 10:16) and inhabited the southern region of the land of Canaan.

     ² Francis Brown, ed., The New Brown–Driver–Briggs–Gesenius Hebrew and English Lexicon (Lafayette, IN: Associated Publishers and Authors, 1980): 906-908. Cf. also the Jubilee Bible 2000, and the marginal notes of ASV, ESV, NASB, NET, N/RSV.

     ³ Complete Jewish Bible and ISV footnote. The final words of Gen. 22:14 are somewhat ambiguous as to whether Yahweh “was seen” (LXX) or “is seen” (CJB) or “will be seen” (RSVn.). The tension between the active sense of Yahweh-yireh (“Yahweh sees”) and the passive sense of Yahweh yērā’eh (“Yahweh is seen”) allows for a fuller expression in that Yahweh is seen or revealed through what he provides, thus “it shall be seen” (KJV), or “it shall be provided” (ASV, ESV, NKJV).

Related Posts: Journey Through Bible Lands: Israel (Part 7)

 

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Jesus’ Triumphal Entry and End of His Public Ministry (John 12)

The Anointing at Bethany (John 12:1-11)

     A few days after Jesus arrived in Bethany, not long before his arrest and execution, he was in the home of Simon the leper (Matt. 26:6; Mark 14:3). Since lepers were not allowed to intermingle with the general public (Lev. 13:45-46), Simon may have been a former leper whom Jesus or one of his disciples had healed (cf. Matt. 10:8; 11:5; Mark 1:40-42; Luke 17:11-19). According to John, Lazarus and his sisters were also present, and Mary is identified as the one who anointed the Lord (John 12:1-8). Mary is unnamed in Matthew and Mark’s recounting of this event,¹ perhaps to provide anonymity and privacy for Lazarus’ family (cf. John 12:9-11). It was not until much later that John reveals her name (cf. 11:2).

     Mary had an alabaster flask (stone jar?) of a litra (Roman pound = about 12 ounces or less than ½ liter) of very costly spikenard oil,² worth more than 300 denarii. Seeing that a denarius was equivalent to one-day’s payment for a manual laborer (cf. Matt. 20:2), this would be worth nearly ten months wages! Mary used the fragrant oil to anoint Jesus’ head (according to Matthew and Mark) and feet (according to John).

     The disciples, prompted or led by the devious Judas Iscariot (John 12:4-6), objected because of the perceived waste. But the Lord reminds them that Mary was simply expressing her love and gratitude and was anointing his body for burial (v. 7). She was apparently among the few who understood that Jesus was about to die. The Lord did not anticipate a time in the future when poverty would be eradicated, so he enjoins on his followers their benevolent responsibility (v. 8; cf. Acts 20:35). Because Mary “did a good work” and “did what she could” (Mark 14:6, 8),³ her unselfish, gracious act was to be recorded in the written gospel (by Matthew, Mark and John) to be proclaimed throughout the world (Mark 14:9; cf. 16:15).

     While the Jewish authorities were plotting to kill Jesus (Matt. 26:1-4), they also wanted to murder Lazarus. Lazarus, whom the Lord had raised from the dead (John 11:1-44), was living proof of Jesus’ claims that caused many to accept him as the Christ (v. 45; 12:9-11, 17-19). This demonstrates the purpose of first-century miracles to confirm the Lord’s message and authority in order to produce faith (cf. 20:30-31). It also illustrates his prophetic observation that the unreceptive are blinded to the most compelling evidence, “even if one should rise from the dead” (Luke 16:31). An unwilling soul will not be convinced.

The Triumphal Entry (John 12:12-19)

     This account is also reported, with additional information, in Matt. 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; and Luke 19:29-44. It fulfills the messianic prophecy of Zechariah 9:9. Bethphage and Bethany were villages close to one another on the eastern side of the Mount of Olives. It is possible that Jesus had prearranged the use of the donkey and her colt (Matt. 21:1-7), thus no resistance from the owners. The procession on the carpet of clothes and palm branches (John 12:13) reached all the way to Jerusalem, a distance of about two miles or three kilometers (John 11:18).

     Jesus is hailed King, a direct descendent of the great military hero David, with cries of Hosanna, meaning “please save” or “save now!” (Matt. 21:9; Mark 11:9-10; Luke 19:38; John 12:13).⁴ The Jews had long anticipated a messianic figure “to redeem Israel” from foreign oppression (Luke 24:21) and to restore the kingdom to Israel (Acts 1:6), contrary to the Lord’s intended purpose (cf. John 18:36).

     The shouts of “King” during Christ’s triumphal entry were within earshot of the Pharisees (Luke 19:38-39; cf. John 12:19), who went on to accuse Jesus of making this claim himself (Luke 23:2-3; John 19:21). No doubt their ploy was to give the impression that Jesus was challenging the authority of Rome (John 19:12, 15) – a clear case of insurrection demanding the death penalty under Roman law.⁵ When Pontius Pilate later gave the Jewish crowds the choice of which prisoner to be released – the humble Galilean preacher (Jesus) or the defiant patriotic militant (Barabbas) – their decision was likely influenced by their misconceived messianic expectations. Consequently, Barabbas’ death sentence was repealed, while Jesus was condemned to be crucified.

Jesus’ Suffering and Death Predicted (John 12:20-36)

     Certain Greeks (perhaps proselytes, cf. 7:35) wanted to see Jesus, and their intermediaries were Philip and Andrew – Christ’s only apostles with Greek names (John 12:20-22). This follows the Lord having disrupted the business-dealings of profiteers in the temple’s Court of the Gentiles (Mark 11:11-17), the only part of the temple where Greeks were permitted. Jesus would not allow the temple compound to be a measly thoroughfare or revenue facilitator, and the two passages he quoted (Isa. 56:7; Jer. 7:11) pronounce salvation for all nations (inclusive of Gentiles) and the hypocrisy of false religion. No wonder these Greeks were drawn to the Lord, knocking on the door of his kingdom.

     Jesus uses this as an opportunity to speak of his impending suffering and death (John 12:22-36), which he had repeatedly foretold throughout his ministry.⁶ Humiliation, sacrifice, and subsequent glory were anticipated as part of the divine plan. His hour had come (v. 23; cf. 13:1; 17:1). Being lifted up on the cross would draw all peoples (Jews and Gentiles alike) to himself (vv. 32-33; cf. 3:14; 8:28), fulfilling what he had stated earlier: “… I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold; these also I must bring, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd” (John 10:15b-16; cf. Eph. 2:11-16).

     Those given the chance to receive the Lord’s personal instruction were tremendously blessed: “the light is with you” (John 12:35a). But they were expected to heed what they were learning: “walk while you have the light …. believe in the light, that you may become sons of light” (vv. 35b-36). Unfortunately, many did not avail themselves of the opportunity graciously afforded (v. 37).

Lessons to Learn

·      From Mary’s humble act of anointing Jesus, we learn that whatever one has can be used in service to the Lord, and anything done for him is not in vain (1 Cor. 15:58). Mary “did what she could.” May each of us do the same.

·      From the antagonistic Jewish authorities we learn that prejudice, ignorance, and selfish pride adversely affect one’s response to the Lord. God has effectively revealed himself through his creation, through his Son, and through his written word (Rom. 1:1-4, 16-21). While the evidence is powerful, it will not convince those who are dishonest and unwilling.

·      From the Lord’s triumphal entry we learn that some might give the appearance of loyalty to Christ but can easily be persuaded to turn away from and even against him if not sufficiently grounded in truth. Preconceived misconceptions, misinformation, and peer pressure often hinder or thwart genuine faith (cf. Matt. 13:18-23).

·      From the Greeks who searched for Jesus, we learn the importance of a truth-seeking heart. They were not among the privileged Jews to whom Jesus was initially sent (Matt. 15:24) or given the law with knowledge of the divine will (Rom. 2:17-20; 3:1-2; 9:4-5). Nevertheless, they “came up to worship” and they sought out Jesus (John 12:20-21), exemplifying the divine promise that all who seek the Lord will surely find him (Matt. 7:7; Acts 15:17; 17:27).

·      From those who heard Jesus and were given the opportunity to obey him, we learn of the enormous blessing of having access to the Lord’s revealed word and the great tragedy of rejecting it. May we be among the receptive and obedient.

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ The similar event recorded in Luke 7:36-50 appears to have involved a different woman on a different occasion.

     ² Cf. Song of Solomon 1:12. Spikenard is a root with hairy spikes that grows on the Himalaya mountains; the aroma calms the nerves and promotes alertness, and is used today as incense.

     ³ Unless otherwise indicated, scripture quotations are the author’s own translation.

     ⁴ Cf. Psa. 118:25-26; also 2 Sam. 14:4; 2 Kings 6:26; 9:13.

     ⁵ See also Matt. 27:11, 29, 37, 42; Mark 15:2, 9, 12, 18, 26, 32; Luke 23:2, 3, 5, 14, 37, 38; John 18:33, 39; 19:3, 14, 15.

     ⁶ Matt. 16:21; 17:12, 22-23; 20:18-19; [21:37-39]; 26:2; Mark 8:31; 9:9-12, 31; 10:32-34, 45; [12:6-12; 14:1]; 14:8, 27-28; Luke 9:22, 44; 18:31-34; [22:2]; John 3:14; 8:28, 37, 40; 12:22-36.

*Prepared for the 2016 Spanish-English workshop at North Jackson Church of Christ in Jackson, TN.

Related Posts: Barabbas 

Related articles: Dave Miller, Hosanna

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My Recent Visit to the Bible Lands

     This is a brief summary of the recent trip my wife and I made to Greece and Israel with the Freed-Hardeman University program, The Bible Lands Tour (29 December 2014 – 8 January 2015): a group of 20 pilgrims led by our capable guides Mark and Dana Blackwelder.

     In Athens we visited the Acropolis, a high rocky hill upon which the remains of several ancient structures stand, including the Parthenon – the old temple of the city’s patron goddess Athena. When the apostle Paul was in Athens over 19 centuries earlier, “his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols” (Acts 17:16). From atop the Acropolis, viewing the city’s myriad (tightly compacted) buildings and houses, it’s hard not to share the apostle’s deep concern for these precious souls. On the northwest side of the Acropolis, we climbed to the top of the Areopagus (“Rock of Ares”) or Mars Hill, where Paul had delivered his passionate speech about “the unknown God,” pleading for all to repent in view of the coming judgment (Acts 17:19-31).

     From Athens we traveled about 1 hour by bus across the narrow isthmus to the ruins of ancient Corinth, a journey that would have taken Paul a couple of days by foot (Acts 18:1). We entered the city with intrigue and fascination, while Paul had come “in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling” (1 Cor. 2:3). We spent about an hour and a half exploring the empty ruins, where the apostle had invested a year and a half “teaching the word of God among them” (Acts 18:11). We wondered which of the dilapidated shops around the agora (marketplace) may have been used by Aquila, Priscilla and Paul to manufacture and/or sell tents (Acts 18:2-3). We viewed with interest the remains of the temples of Apollo and Octavia (cf. 1 Cor. 8:10) and the fountain of Peirene (cf. Acts 18:8; 1 Cor. 1:14-16). But perhaps the most poignant site was the Bema where Paul had stood trial before the proconsul Gallio (Acts 18:12-16), after which he left behind a thriving community of believers (Acts 18:18; 1 Cor. 1:2).

     We visited too many locations in Israel to mention in detail, but among the highpoints were Caesarea Maritima (Acts 10:1; 12:19; 21:8; 23:33), the Sea of Galilee (Mark 1:16; 4:1, 36; 5:1), Caesarea Philippi (Matt. 16:13), the Mount of Beatitudes (Matt. 5:1; 8:1), Mounts Tabor and Hermon (Matt. 17:1), Capernaum (Matt. 4:13; 8:5, 14; 11:23), Tel Dan (Judg. 18:29), the Jordan River (Mark 1:5, 9), Chorazin and Bethsaida (Matt. 11:21), Nazareth (Matt. 2:23), Bethlehem (Luke 2:4), the Dead Sea (Gen. 14:3; Num. 34:12), Masada (Herod the Great’s fortress), Qumran (where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered), Jericho (Josh. 6:1-27), Jerusalem (2 Sam. 5:5; Mark 11:11), the temple mount and western wall (Matt. 4:5; 24:1-2; John 2:20), the temple’s southern steps and ritual baths (Acts 2:14, 41), the Garden of Gethsemane and Mount of Olives (Matt. 26:30, 36), traditional sites of Jesus’ death and resurrection (John 19:41), and Joppa (Jonah 1:3; Acts 9:36-43).

     While the proliferation of man-made shrines, cathedrals, pseudo religion, and commercialization has significantly detracted from the modest dignity of many of these sites, it helps to remember that there is nothing inherently sacred about any given place on earth. What really matters is what God has accomplished throughout history and all that he continues to accomplish in every place through his Son Jesus Christ.

     Most would agree that the highlight of the trip was worshiping with the Lord’s church in Nazareth. The last time Jesus was in Nazareth, even though he was among his hometown kinsmen, he was rejected and mistreated (Mark 6:1-6). But thanks to him, we were warmly welcomed in the midst of our spiritual family. Nowhere on this trip did we ever feel threatened or in danger, but it was in Nazareth, in the company of our brethren, where we felt right at home. “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Eph. 2:19).

--Kevin L. Moore

Related Posts: The Macedonians Had Names, Ancient Corinth

Image credit: Photo taken by Lynne Moore from the Acropolis, with the Areopagus (Mars Hill) in the foreground and the city of Athens in the background.

Matthew 24: the End of the World or Jerusalem's Fall?

     While Jesus and his disciples were in Jerusalem, the Lord predicted the demolition of the Jewish temple (Matt. 24:1-2). Apparently the disciples assumed the destruction would take place when the Lord returned for judgment, because they asked the following two questions: "tell us, when will these things be?" (i.e. the desolation of the temple); "and what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?" (v. 3).¹

     Jesus answers their first question, concerning the temple’s destruction, in verses 4-34. Note: "assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things are fulfilled" (v. 34). [These things were in fact fulfilled about forty years later.] Jesus then answers their second question, about the end of the age, in verses 35-51. Notice carefully the words "these things" and "those days" (vv. 3, 6, 8, 19, 22, 29, 33, 34) in contrast to "that day" (v. 36).

     Before the complexities of this passage are considered, let’s note some interesting historical facts. 1. False christs and false prophets (vv. 4-5, 23-26): Josephus recorded over seventy who claimed to be the messiah prior to the AD 70 devastation of Jerusalem (see Ant. 20.5.1; 20.8.10; Wars 2.13.4-6; cf. Acts 5:36-37). 2. Wars, famines, earthquakes, etc. (vv. 6-8): From AD 68-69, four Roman emperors were killed; there were civil wars in Rome which spread throughout the empire; Acts 11:28 records a worldwide famine; pestilence and earthquakes are certainly not phenomena peculiar to modern times (cf. Matt. 27:54; 28:2; Acts 16:26). 3. Persecution (v. 9): This was obviously taking place prior to Jerusalem’s siege (Acts 7:59; 12:1-2; 1 Pet. 2:19-21; et al.). 4. Betrayal and lawlessness (vv. 10-12): When the Roman armies besieged Jerusalem, the Jews inside the walls turned against each other (cf. Josephus, Wars 2.13). 5. He who endures to the end shall be saved (v. 13): Over 1 million Jews were killed in Jerusalem’s fall, but there is no record of a single Christian losing his life during this tragedy; when the Christians saw the signs of which Jesus spoke, they fled to Pella for safety.

     6. The gospel will be preached in all the world before the end (v. 14): Colossians 1:5-6, 23 (written prior to AD 70) mentions the gospel having been preached in all the world. 7. The "abomination of desolation" (v. 15): Luke says this was preceded by Jerusalem being surrounded by armies (Luke 21:20). 8. Judeans escaping to the mountains, etc. (vv. 16-20): These verses simply cannot refer to the end of the world; the emphasis is on the urgency and the difficulty of fleeing to safety from the region where Jerusalem was located. 9. Great tribulation, etc. (vv. 21-22): Josephus vividly described the horrific events of Jerusalem’s desolation, including such abominations as starving mothers eating their own children. However, the siege of the Romans did not last long enough to spread to the places where Christians had fled. 10. The coming of the Son of Man (v. 27): Considering the context, this symbolically describes the Lord coming in judgment against Jerusalem (cf. Isa. 13:6; 19:1).² 11. Eagles (or vultures) gathering around a carcass (v. 28): This is another symbolic description of national Judaism’s death as the Roman armies gather together against the principal city. 12. The parable of the fig tree (vv. 32-33): Just like they saw the signs of a fig tree and knew that summer was near, they could also know that the destruction of Jerusalem was near by the signs of which Jesus spoke. 13. All these things to be fulfilled during the generation of these disciples (v. 34): There can be no doubt that the events Jesus describes in the previous verses have reference to something that was going to take place in the first century AD. 14. There will be no signs pointing to the end of the world; it will be sudden and unexpected (vv. 35-51).

     The primary difficulty involves interpreting verses 29-31. If these words are taken literally, Jesus seems to be picturing the end of the world. But note the transition into symbolic imagery in vv. 27-28. When the immediate context is considered, as well as the common figurative language used in the Bible to depict God’s judgment on a nation (see The Day of the Lord), there is no need to force a literal interpretation on this section. Remember that Jesus’ original audience was Jewish and therefore familiar with Jewish apocalyptic literature where these symbols are common. From a first-century Jewish perspective, what would these symbols have conveyed?

     Constellations falling from heaven (v. 29) symbolize the fall of prominent powers (cf. Isa. 13:1-11; 14:4-12; 34:1-5; Luke 10:18). The phrase "Son of Man coming" (vv. 27, 30) does not always portray his literal second coming but sometimes refers to the Lord coming representatively (cf. Isa. 13:5; 19:1). In Matt. 10:23 the Son of Man was to "come" before his contemporary disciples had personally gone through the cities of Israel. Matt. 16:28 describes the Son of Man "coming in his kingdom" before some of his contemporary disciples had died (cf. Mark 9:1; Col. 1:13). Similarly, Matt. 24:27-30 figuratively describes his coming judgment on Jerusalem. Because of the Lord’s accurate predictions of this devastating event, everyone would know that this was his judgment against the unbelieving Jews.

     Jesus "coming on the clouds" is also symbolic in this context (cf. Isa. 19:1; Jer. 4:13; Psa. 68:4,34 [KJV]; 104:3; Matt. 26:64), describing his swift judgment. Verse 31 probably illustrates God’s providential care, protecting his righteous ones during Jerusalem’s siege. Angels are agents of God’s providence (Psa. 91:11; Heb. 1:13-14). Trumpets are symbols of sounding out warning (Num. 10:1-10; Jer. 4:5; 6:17; Zeph. 1:16; 1 Cor. 14:8). The word "heaven" is sometimes used to symbolize that which is widespread throughout the lands (cf. Deut. 30:4; Neh. 1:9; Isa.13:5).

     Despite the exegetical challenges of this passage, here are some important lessons to be learned: (a) the divine foreknowledge of Jesus; (b) the obvious historical fulfillment of the Lord’s detailed predictions, proving the reality of predictive prophecy and divine inspiration of scripture; (c) God’s providential care for his people (cf. Rom. 8:28); (d) with the Lord’s help, the gospel can be preached in all the world (Matt. 28:18-20); and (e) he who endures to the end shall be saved (cf. Heb. 3:14; 6:11-12; 10:35-36; Rev. 2:10).

     Admittedly portions of Matthew 24 are hard to understand. The difficulty intensifies when one is unfamiliar with the overall context of scripture and is laded with preconceived misunderstandings. But the important thing, whether or not one ever grasps the full meaning of this and related passages, is the paramount question: Are you ready to meet the Lord in the final judgment, whenever that may be?

–Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ Unless otherwise noted, all scripture quotations are from the NKJV. See also the parallel accounts: Mark 13:1-37 and Luke 21:5-38. It was Peter, James, John and Andrew who asked the Lord these questions in private (Mark 13:3).
     ² See The Day of the Lord. 

Related Posts: Biblical Interpretation: Asking the Right Questions, Preterism (Part 4)

Related Articles: Donald Taylor's Apocalyptic Literature

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