Our Lord's Great Prophecy, Part 12

  • Welcome to Christian Forums, a Christian Forum that recognizes that all Christians are a work in progress.

    You will need to register to be able to join in fellowship with Christians all over the world.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon and God Bless!

Matthew Chapter 24

VERSE 17 and 18Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes.”

These statements indicate the propriety of haste in flight out of "Babylon," as soon as each SEES the abomination of desolation. The Lord's word is, that all temporizing or parleying or human reasoning will be dangerous: no time must be lost in obeying as soon as he causes us to SEE the abomination of Babylon, and its relationship to all who have named his name.

Alas! How many, failing to heed the Master's word, have suffered themselves to be bound hand and foot, so that now flight is almost impossible. But the Master says, "MY SHEEP hear my voice and they follow me." They heed my console to depart and this with haste.

There is another lesson in these verses: they show that some of the Lord's people are in one place or condition, and some in another.

Some are in the "field"; that is in the world outside all human organizations (denominations and etc.): these should not think it proper first to join the nominal churches; but using their liberty should flee from their position in the world, to become one with the Lord as members of his Kingdom-- mountain.

Some of the Lord's people are in the houses or church systems of Babylon-(joined to one of the various branches of Christendom)-but, as here intimated, they are generally HOUSE-TOP saints, possessing a higher life (a spiritual life having been begotten of the Lord’s spirit), thus a higher experience and faith than merely nominal church members. These in their flight are not to go down into the house (nominal church systems) to seek to carry with them their "possessions"; their valuables in human estimation, such as titles, honors, dignities, the respect of their friends and family, fellow church members, commendations of good and regular standing, etc., but are to forsake all this for Christ, and flee to the true Kingdom.” (D574-575)

Once again from, The Gospel of Matthew

Verse 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house.”

Who is on the housetop?

Who is being instructed not to go down into the house to get any possessions? What principle is involved here?

If one sees a proper course in life (i.e., if one sees that the Lord has condemned a particular system or arrangement), then the longer one delays decision-making and action based on that decision, the greater the danger that action will not be taken. If one procrastinates, he may never come out. A delayed response leads to rationalization and hence inactivity.

The point is that when the Lord issued the command to come out of Babylon and it was recognized, those who obeyed promptly were more apt to be rewarded than those who hesitated because of wanting to make arrangements whereby there would be a minimum loss of friendships. Along natural lines, if one wants to minimize his losses, he tries to preserve his most precious possessions—as in a fire, for example. But spiritually speaking, to delay is dangerous.

Thehousetopin olden times was a prime position where one could go to commune privately with God in prayer. Also, from there one could watch and have a good vantage point. Thus those “on the housetop” are the “cream of the crop.” One illustration is that Peter was on a housetop praying when he had a dream related to the call of the Gentiles into the Gospel Church. It was customary for the Jew to pray two times a day, morning and evening, at the highest elevation available. Jesus did that by climbing a mountain. Verse 17 is saying that from the housetop position, the Christian was (or is) to flee.

Verse 18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.”

Thefield” is the Christian world. Hence this verse is a call to the evangelist, the active Christian, the mission worker, to flee to the truth recognized and to obey it accordingly.

Physically, one can stay where he is, but he should disassociate himself spiritually from the system of Babylon.”

We will continue on with Verse 19 in our next post.

Blog entry information

Author
Harvest 1874
Read time
3 min read
Views
788
Last update

More entries in General

More entries from Harvest 1874

Share this entry