‍

Matthew 24 - Part 9

We have arrived at the last part of verse 5 and 6 of Matthew 24, which states: "...and shall deceive many. {6} And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.”

And [kai:G2532] Shall Deceive [planao:G4105] Many [polys:G4183]

This last phrase in Matthew 24:5, "...and shall deceive many" is critically important, as it highlights the chief characteristic of the “Great Tribulation" that Christ is referring to in Matthew 24:21, and which this entire chapter is devoted to: "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be."  

Shall Deceive [planao:G4105] 

As I have mentioned before, the deception in view was so pervasive that the Lord makes reference to this term, “deceive” - four times in this chapter alone - in verses 4, 5, 11 and 24. The number four if it has any spiritual meaning, signifies the four points of the compass, or universality. The intensity and scope of this deception occurred during the 23-year (or 8400 day)  “time and season”  that the Great Tribulation encompassed. Verse 24 is extremely important because it underscores the fact that the deception was so strong that “if it were possible”  - and it is not - even the “very elect” would be deceived; nonetheless, many were thus deceived: “For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if [it were] possible, they shall deceive [planao:G4105]  the very elect.”

And [de:G1161[ Ye Shall [mello:G3195] Hear [akouo:G191] Of Wars [polemos:G4171]  And [kai:G2532] Rumours [akoe:G189] Of Wars [polemos:G4171]  

The first part of verse 6 says: “And ye shall hear [akouo:G191] of wars and rumours [akoe:G189] of wars…”  Incidentally, this verse is parallel to both Mark 13:7 and Luke 21:9. Let’s consider the two words, “hear” and “rumours.” They are actually closely related as the Greek noun, “rumours” stems from the Greek verb, “hear.”  That might not surprise you because by definition a rumour is usually something that one hears with their physical ears, or perhaps one might read about a particular rumour that is circulating. But our concern is always for the spiritual understanding that God has hidden within His Word with respect to these two terms. For example, we read in Matthew 13:14, in which “rumours” and “hear” is rendered, “by hearing” and “ye shall hear”: “And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Esaias, which saith, By hearing [akoe:G189] ye shall hear [akouo:G191], and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and shall not perceive:”

This verse is quoting Isaiah 6:9-10, which is so important that it is quoted about a half a dozen times in the New Testament. The reason for its significance lies in the fact that it highlights the principle that God sovereignly reveals truth from the Bible to His elect, while choosing to withhold spiritual understanding from the non-elect. In other words, a person can physically hear the words of the Bible without perceiving their spiritual content.

Of Wars [polemos:G4171] 

The expression, "wars" is repeated twice in the first part of verse 6. It too, is a word that emphasizes another valuable Biblical principle involving "warfare." There have always been wars since mankind fell into sin; in fact we read in James 4:1 that sin is the root cause of warfare that starts within the human heart, and then expands outwardly to one's relationship with others, throughout the various levels of society, and eventually includes governments and nations: "From whence come wars [polemos:G4171] and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?"

The warfare that God has in view was the longest spiritual battle that this earth has ever known - the battle between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan. Actually this conflict was being waged for 13,023 years, until Satan was defeated on May 21, 2011 at the end of the Great Tribulation, and the beginning of our current day of judgment.  In Revelation 19:19, this battle is between the "beast" or the  kingdom of Satan, whereas the "One" on the horse, is the Lord Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God:

 "And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war [polemos:G4171] against him that sat on the horse, and against his army."

Summary: 

Today we looked at two topics in verses 5 and 6: “deception” and “wars”/ “rumours of wars.” It was noted that deception was the chief hallmark of the Great Tribulation, and its appearance four times in this chapter substantiates this. Spiritually speaking, the “wars” in view have to with the battle between the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of Satan during the 13,203 years of the day of salvation.

Prayer And Praise Report

• We are pleased to announce that we will be releasing our newly revamped website soon.
• Your prayers are appreciated for our daughter Maria.
• Please pray for progress on the studio, as we are short-handed.

‍