Join us as we explore the challenging journey of faith in a world troubled by war, moral decay, and spiritual deception. Rabbi Schneider expounds on the necessity for believers to remain vigilant and grounded in the Word of God. With vivid analogies and scriptural exegesis, this episode calls Christians to reaffirm their commitment to their faith, even in the face of persecution, so they can withstand the tribulations prophesied in the scriptures.
It’s in this place of moral bankruptcy and hopelessness that the Antichrist will be able to emerge. So Jesus says, all these terrible things, they must happen. Beloved ones, we are today continuing our study in the 24th chapter of of the book of Matthew. This is a chapter that brings to a conclusion the words of Jesus. He’s getting towards the end of his ministry as we approach Matthew 24. His disciples have asked him two questions. His disciples asked him, when will these things be as Jesus began to talk about the end of the age? And they said to him, and what will be the signs of your coming? They wanted to know when it was going to happen and what they’d be able to see, what they’d be able to observe that they could know that they’re entering into that time. We, those of us that are astute, those of us that are biblical students, and those of us that simply can feel through discernment what’s going on, we have never felt like we are living at the end of the age of until now in terms of the intensity by which we’re being marked by. People realize everything has shifted. Something has changed. Jesus is getting ready to come back. Did you ever consider that Jesus’ last words in the entire Brihad Asha, the entire Bible, his last words are, behold, I come soon. or behold, I come quickly. So it’s important that you and I are living with a recognition and expectation that Jesus is coming back, that the creator of the world that the one that created you and me, that the one that created the earth, he is gonna manifest himself to the world again. And when he does, every eye will see him. One of the things that Yeshua said when his disciples were asking him questions about the end of the age and his coming, when I return, he said, it’s gonna be like lightning. It’s gonna flash up the entire world. It’s gonna circle the earth. Everyone’s gonna know that I came. I remember I was in—this is a true story—I was in Africa one time. You know, the scripture says that when Yeshua returns, his feet will hit, in Israel, the Mount of Olives. And so, when we were preaching across the world one time, one of the people said, well, when Jesus returns and his feet hit the Mount of Olives, the woman said, well, will we be watching it on the internet? And the truth is, you know, his feet will hit the Mount of Olives, but at lightning speed, as soon as his foot touches the Mount of Olives, his glory will have circled the entire world. It will be instantaneous. Beloved, he’s coming back soon. He’s coming back for you and I, and we need to live with expectations. So we’re going to pick up now where we left off last time in the middle of verse six. See that you’re not frightened when these things start to happen. When you hear of the wars and the rumors of wars and begin to see the hatred, he said, see that you are not frightened. Now get this, for these things, those things must take place. That is really interesting because a lot of times you and I, we can like start bemoaning All that’s going on right now, right? We bemoan it. We hate it. You know, life has become so hard because of the spirit of the age and the darkness and all the things that we’ve talked about. We hate it. But Jesus said those things must take place. That’s a good reminder and it’s a good healthy dose of reality check because it can help us stay encouraged when we realize nothing’s gone wrong. God’s plan hasn’t failed. We don’t want to be whining all the time. Jesus said those things must take place. Why do all these things need to take place? Why the earthquakes, the wars? Why the darkness? Why the division? Why will many people be falling away from the faith? Why are all these dark things gonna be happening? They need to happen, beloved, to set the stage for the antichrist to emerge. I’m not talking about the antichrist spirit that’s already here. John told us that the antichrist spirit is already on the earth, the spirit that opposes God’s anointing, the spirit that opposes the spirit of light. That’s already at work, stronger and stronger. But I’m talking about the literal person whom the devil will fully manifest through. This one is known as the antichrist. And Paul said, let no one mislead you. He said, Jesus, Yeshua, cannot return until the anti-Messiah or the Antichrist is first revealed, whom the Lord will slay with the breath of his coming. So once again, all the terrible things that we’re seeing beloved ones, Jesus said, these things must happen. Why? Because they’re setting the stage for the rise of the Antichrist and Jesus can’t return until the Antichrist first rises and is revealed. It’s just part of God’s plan. If there was a better way of doing things, I mean, sometimes we suffer because we look in the world and we say, well, if there’s a good God, you know, why did he allow this suffering? Well, why did he allow this evil? Friend was telling me that somebody was saying, well, they don’t believe in God because if there was a God, why would if he created the world this way with all the suffering that goes on and all the evil, if there really is a God, why would he have done it like this? But the fact is, beloved, there is a God, and if there was a better way to have done it, he would have done it that way. His ways are not our ways, and his thoughts are not our thoughts. Even as the heavens are higher than the earth, saith the Lord, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. So the Lord said here, all these terrible things that you’re seeing happen, he says these things have to happen. It’s part of the plan. And so, As things get darker and people’s conscience gets more and more seared and they lose their way and they lose moral discernment, this is an environment in which the Antichrist can surface. I mean, you think about Hitler in Nazi Germany. How was somebody like Hitler able to seize control of the nation and then destroy almost the entire world. A few things. Number one, the Germans were very desperate They had lost the last World War. Their economy was in havoc because of all the financial debt that they went into as a result of the war. The people were demoralized. They had lost their way. They had sunk into moral darkness. And so all of a sudden, they were in this dark place. They lacked hope. And so in this place of hopelessness, lack of discernment, and desperation, Hitler was able to seize power. Similarly, the world’s going to be in a place of hopelessness that has lost its way. And it’s in this place of moral bankruptcy and hopelessness that the Antichrist will be able to emerge. So Jesus says, all these terrible things, they must happen. They’re setting the stage for the world to be gullible enough to receive the Antichrist. That’s why Jesus began Matthew 24 by saying, see that you’re not misled. The primary power of the devil is deception. When Jesus described the devil, he said he’s the father of lies. He was a liar from the beginning. That’s why we need to be so grounded in God’s word. That’s why we need to be in fellowship with other believers. That’s why we need to be in regular Bible study because all these things are happening. It’s the power of delusion all around us. It’s a influence of delusion. And the Bible tells us that the people that do not receive the love of God When the deluding influence comes upon them, they’re going to believe it. In fact, the Bible says, I know this is hard to accept, but the Bible says that the Lord, that God, is going to send a deluding influence upon those that would not receive a love of the truth so that they might believe a lie and be judged. It’s serious, friends. We need to get grounded in God’s word so we know the truth. And we need to fall in love with Jesus and live for him because Jesus said, hard times are happening, they’re coming, and I want you to be able to stand. That’s why it’s important for you to get grounded today.
SPEAKER 01 :
You’re listening to Discovering the Jewish Jesus with Rabbi Schneider, and he’ll be right back. But first, have you thought about the legacy you’ll leave when you’re no longer on this earth? Planning for the future, it’s an important step in walking with wisdom. So we’ve partnered with Freewill, a free online tool that makes creating a will simple, secure, and accessible to everyone. I’ve used it myself, and it’s really easy and efficient. And this tool, it also gives you the opportunity to make a lasting impact. And if you want to support this ministry, you can include a financial gift to us in your plans to help us share the love of Yeshua with generations to come. You can get started today at discoveringthejewishjesus.com. Just click on our resources and need a will tab. It’s completely free, whether you choose to give to this ministry or not. So check it out today. And for those of you who do choose to give, thank you so much. And now back to Rabbi with the second half of today’s lesson.
SPEAKER 03 :
Those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom. And in various places, there’ll be famines and earthquakes. We’re going to see natural disasters happen, more plagues of every kind. But all these things in verse number eight are merely, get this, the beginning of of the birth pangs. That’s why I have a problem with a lot of the so-called prophets and prophetic words that seem to be continually coming forth about this great new awakening that’s coming to the world where somehow the world’s gonna turn back to Jesus and the world is gonna become Christianized. Jesus is going to exercise his dominion over the world and we’re going to put everything in order and we’re going to become a Judeo-Christian nation again in the golden age. I don’t believe that, my friends, because I don’t see it in the Word of God. What I see happening is things will go from bad to worse. That’s what Paul said. This is, to me, what Jesus seems to preach. I’m not saying there can’t be revivals. I’m not even saying that there can’t be another great revival. But overall, even if there are revivals, and even if there is another great revival, Overall, the scripture says that things are going to go from bad to worse, and you and I need to get prepared. So I’m sticking with the word of God, not a person that says, oh, the latter rain is greater than the former rain. That’s the scripture that so many of these prophets use, forecasting the great revival that’s coming. They base their prophecy a lot of times on a scripture from the Hebrew Bible that says the latter rain will be greater than the former rain. That’s a very, to me, weak argument to build a whole theology around a great revival coming. The Lord didn’t say a great revival is coming and this great revival that’s coming is going to be greater than the formal revival. All he talked about was a latter rain being greater than a formal rain, you know, had to do with agriculture and everything else. So I would be very hesitant to build a whole theology around it. It’s a beautiful verse, but not enough to build a foundation on of great revival coming to America. That’s going to be the biggest revival the world has ever seen. Is it possible? It’s possible. But I don’t think you can build a solid case based on the word of God that it’s going to happen. It’s a possibility. But what the Bible teaches is these bad things Jesus is talking about, these terrible things that the world is entering into. He said, these are merely the beginning of the birth pangs. Then they will deliver you to tribulation. Okay, so in other words, you’re going to suffer for taking a stand for Jesus, right? And those of you that are really living righteously, I mean, you’re not silent Christians. Those of you that are not ashamed to wear your love for Jesus on your sleeve, you talk about him, you praise him. People that you work with, they know you love Jesus. Your neighbors, they know you love Jesus. Most of you that are truly living as those that are praising God, like that song, Hallelujah, your whole life is about praising God. That the fruit of his salvation is on your lips. Jesus said, you shall be my witnesses. Those of you that are living this way, you’re already facing some tribulation and some persecution because of it. Jesus said, blessed are you when men persecute you and say all types of evil slander against you for righteousness sake. Great’s your reward in heaven. They did the same thing to the prophets of old. And when you’re persecuted for me, the spirit of glory will rest on you. They will deliver you to tribulation and kill you. And you will be hated by all nations because of my name. It’s already happening, beloved. The world is gathering a spirit of hatred around it towards Christianity and Jesus. The world’s hatred towards the Bible and Christian values and God’s word, it’s growing by leaps and bounds every month. We hear all the time, oh, Christians are bad people. Christians are hateful people. Christians are the people that they won’t include same-sex marriage in their inclusiveness. They won’t include people of other religions. People that believe in Jesus, Christians, they’re narrow-minded haters. That spirit is growing. That spirit is growing. Listen, it’s not gonna be long before the whole world hates you and I and those of us that really love Jesus because we love Jesus. This is what Jesus is saying is gonna happen. His people are gonna be hated by the whole world. We already feel it. How many of you have lost friends because you love Jesus? This is going to intensify. It’s going to intensify. So once again, he says to you, they will deliver you to tribulation and will kill you and you will be hated by all nations because of my name. At that time, he said, many will fall away. Isn’t that interesting? When people have to suffer for Jesus and when there’s a price to pay for loving him, when there’s a price to pay for naming him, what is a lot of people’s response? Jesus says, they will fall away. So listen again. They will deliver you to tribulation and will kill you and get it again. And you will be hated by all nations because of my name. At that time, many will fall away. What does that mean? It means people will not be willing to pay the price. They’ll fall away from Jesus because they want to be accepted by man. They’ll fall away from Yeshua because they’re not willing to pay a price to walk with him and to name him and to suffer with him and to be a devoted verbal follower of his. So rather than staying faithful to him, instead what they do is they fall away because they want to fit into the world. You know, Jesus said in the Gospel of John to the religious leaders of his day, he said, how can you believe, it’s not even possible he was saying, how can you believe when you seek the glory that comes from man instead of the glory that comes from the one true God. And so today we see it all around. I see it all around. People that claim to be Christians, they won’t say anything about Jesus on their Facebook site. They won’t say anything about Jesus in their neighborhood. They won’t say anything about Jesus in their school. What’s going on? They’re falling away because they’re not willing to be hated by the world. Jesus said he was going to spit the lukewarm out of his mouth. Get hot or get cold. Time is now. Get ready, beloved, to suffer for Jesus’ sake. Recognize that there’s a cost to pay. The Bible says everybody that desires to live godly in Christ Jesus shall be persecuted. That includes you, and it includes me. We’re entering into difficult days. This is serious, and you need to sink your teeth down into the solid rock of God’s Word. and be prepared to pay the price jesus said those that go to heaven didn’t love their own lives even to the end they persevered because of their love for him even to the end so once again he says at that time many will fall away and listen to this and will betray one another and hate one another in other words maybe it’s a true christian friends And so one of them, you know, says, you know what, I’m not going to be bold about Jesus anymore. So they become like Judas. Satan fills their heart. And then they start hating their old Christian friends because they betrayed Jesus. Satan filled their heart. Now they hate their own Christian friends. The hatred that we feel in society is just going to increase. Jesus said people will hate one another. Listen again. Many will fall away and betray one another and hate. hate one another. Could you feel the hatred rising? Somehow, you know, the woke culture is trying to make us believe that they’re leading us in to a more loving culture. You know, all the propaganda, we’re more inclusive now. We’re more loving now. I was out fishing the other day on a river. My boat broke down in the middle of the river. I was stranded. Two people came by that could have helped me. Do you think they helped me? No, they didn’t help me. I called them over, tried to get some help. They acted like they were going to help. They just drove away and never saw him again, Cynthia and I. But Baruch Hashem, God saved us in a miracle. I’m going to tell you about it in the next episode, okay? I love you guys today. I’m just trying to tell you we are God’s beloved ones. We’re his kids. We’re his children. And he is warning you and I, get ready. I’m coming soon. But you got to be ready to go through some hard times. Beloved, faith is a gift, but faith demands our obedience. Think about it. Abraham received the gift of faith from God, but he had to be obedient and offer up his son. And when we’re obedient to the call of faith, our heart is open and we’re able to receive Father’s blessing. I want to ask you today, if you’re being blessed and encouraged by this ministry, would you offer to the Lord your tithe or your offering through this ministry? In other words, God tells us in His Word, number one, that we should honor Him with our tithes and offerings, and number two, that we should do it through ministries that are feeding us. It’s because of your obedience, beloved, that the world is being blessed through discovering the Jewish Jesus. And as you are obedient in offering the Lord your tithe and offering, it will open up your heart to receive even more of God because our faith opens the door for Father’s blessing in our life. I want to thank you in advance, beloved, for your tithe and offering through discovering the Jewish Jesus. I know as you’re obedient to the Lord, he’s going to bless you because of it. I love you. God bless you. And shalom.
SPEAKER 01 :
Amen. And if the Lord is touching your heart right now to give a financial gift, would you go to discoveringthejewishjesus.com? And if it’s easier, then give us a call at 800-777-7835. And here’s what I love about what Rabbi said. Your faithfulness, it doesn’t just bless you. The world is being blessed through this ministry as we spread the gospel together. Every time someone in Israel hears the gospel or every time a heart is changed in Uganda or Nigeria, where we’re going in just a few months. Every time someone here in America discovers the Jewish Jesus, you have played a role in that, and we’re so thankful. So if God is stirring your heart to give today, please don’t wait. This could be your moment to step into something bigger. So give today at discoveringthejewishjesus.com. And before we wrap up, if you want to dive deeper into Rabbi’s authentic and uncompromising messages on your own, we want you to know his messages are available on Roku TV, Amazon, and even Apple TV. You can watch Rabbi in the studio and… You can see him in the Holy Land doing ministry right there in Israel. If you want more information, just go to our website, discoveringthejewishjesus.com or search for us directly on your device. Just look for Discovering the Jewish Jesus. And now let’s turn things back over to Rabbi as he speaks the Father’s sacred blessing over you.
SPEAKER 03 :
In the Old Testament book of Numbers, we find a blessing God speaks over his children through Moses and Aaron. It carries the idea of favor and expression. Open your heart to the Spirit and the Word today and receive Father’s goodness into your life with confidence.
The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift you up with his countenance. And the Lord give you, beloved one, his peace. God bless you and shalom.
SPEAKER 01 :
This program is produced and sponsored by Discovering the Jewish Jesus. And I’m Dustin Roberts. Join us tomorrow when Rabbi Schneider shows how to glorify God even in bad situations. That’s Thursday on Discovering the Jewish Jesus.
