[Above: The inner Title Page in the Front Matter of the Book]

IN ABOUT A WEEK’S TIME (or a little earlier), I hope to publish a new commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, chapters 24 and 25 — which consists of Jesus’ address on the rocky outcrop of the little Mount of Olives immediately after leaving the temple for the last time just three days before His crucifixion. It currently has 86 pages containing over 32,000 words. It will be distributed as a free downloadable eBook in PDF format.

One of the key elements in these two chapters, which I had not picked up before in all the fullness of its priority, is how much there is in them about the need to discern the difference between the true and the false on so many levels and thus avoid deception. True and false messiahs, true and false prophets, the true and false ‘Parousia’ of Christ and, above all, the differences between true and false Christians. Jesus shows how  key differences between the elect people of God and the rest of the world is the facility to resist deception and also their love of the “brethren” (who are also Christ’s brethren), not to mention their preparedness for His return.

I have therefore come to see these two chapters not so much as merely an eschatological discourse (although there is much about the time of the end in them) but as a valuable multi-part lesson for disciples of Christ in discernment, the absolute need to be ‘undeceived’, and above all in how to validate the reality of your discipleship and thereby be prepared to meet your Maker either at death or at the end of the age, whichever comes first — for enduring to the end is another of the signs which Jesus provides so you can validate your discipleship.

In this commentary, in the course of the exposition, there is teaching about the far-reaching multiplexity of the extraordinary expression “abomination of desolation” (24:15), a profound understanding of what Jesus meant when He said, “this generation” (24:34), an explanation of the interface between Jesus’ humanity and His divinity (24:36), a debunking of the common “left behind” teaching which so blights the church (24:40-41), what lies behind the seemingly ‘hard’ teaching of Jesus in 25:29, the real identity of Jesus’ “brothers” (25:40), and much more.

Anyway, that was just a little ‘taster’. By this time next week or even earlier, you will have free access to the whole eBook, if you are interested of course.

Blessings & Best Wishes from me to you…

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