OceanSide church of Christ




Click here to see all of the YouTube videos belonging to OceanSide
(opens in a new browser)

 Previous Return to Sermons Next  Click to download Audio

QUESTIONS & ANSWERS (55)

Victor M. Eskew

 

INTRODUCTION

 

A.     The word “question” comes from a Latin word “quaestio” that means “to seek.”

1.       Those who ask questions are seeking answers.

2.       Those who ask questions are seeking information.

3.       Those who ask questions are seeking knowledge.

4.       Those who ask questions are seeking understanding.

5.       Those who ask questions are seeking truth.

 

B.     Because we know that many individuals are seeking answers, we have a Questions & Answers lesson at OceanSide on the first Sunday of every month.

1.       The question box is in the foyer.

2.       Please feel free to write your questions and put them in the box. 

3.       We usually try to answer at least three questions each lesson, but today we will only answer two.

 

I.                    QUESTION #1:  Matthew 24

 

A.     Stated:  Please help us better understand Matthew 24.

 

B.     Answer:

1.       Matthew 24 has been perverted by those who teach the doctrine of Premillennialism.

a.       They apply the whole chapter to Christ’s Second Coming.

b.      They believe that there are signs set forth in this chapter that help us to know that the Second Coming is imminent or soon.

2.       Let’s look at a few things that help us to understand this chapter with more clarity.

a.       The initial discussion between Jesus and the disciples.

1)       The Fascination with the Temple (Matt. 24:1)

 

And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple:  and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.

 

a)       The Jews honored and adored the temple in Jerusalem.

b)      To them, it was the dwelling place of God.

c)       The temple was a marvelous building, forty and six years in construction.

d)      As Jesus left the temple, His disciples were being very expressive to Jesus about all the buildings of the temple.

2)       The Future of the Temple (Matt. 24:2)

 

And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things?  verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

 

a)       Jesus did not revel in the temple with them.

b)      Instead, He tells them that there is coming a day when the temple will be destroyed.

c)       It would be a devastating event.  “There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.”

3)       The Fact-Finding on the Temple (Matt. 24:3).

 

And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be?  and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

 

a)       The apostles thought about Jesus’ statement as they made their way out of Jerusalem to the mount of Olives.

b)      When the opportunity arose to speak to Jesus privately, they went on a fact-finding mission about what He had said.

c)       It appears that they ask Him three questions:

-          When shall these things be?

-          What shall be the sign of thy coming?

-          What shall be the sign of the end of the world?

b.      The interesting response of Jesus (Matt. 24:4-51)

1)       An insight into Jesus’ question.

a)       The disciples asked three questions.

b)      Jesus applied the second question to both the first question and the last question.

-          What will be the signs of the destruction of the temple?

-          What will be the signs of the end of the world?

2)       A very plain contrast made by Jesus (Matt. 24:34-36a)

 

Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.  Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.  But of that day and hour knoweth no man…

 

a)       In verses 4 through 35, Jesus gives His disciples the signs of the destruction of the temple and the fall of Jerusalem.  He concludes that discussion in verses 34-35.  “Verily I say unto you, this generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

-          This generation

-          Till

-          “All” be fulfilled

b)      In verses 36-51, He addresses the end of the world and the signs that will be given.  In essence, Jesus teaches that there will be no signs.

-          Matthew 24:36

 

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

 

-          Matthew 24:42

 

Watch therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

 

-          Matthew 24:44

 

Therefore be ye also ready:  for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

 

3)       We could go into much depth discussing some of the terminology used by Jesus explaining the signs that would pass before the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the temple:  the abomination of desolation (v. 15), there shall be great tribulation (v. 21), the lightning cometh out of the east (v. 27), the coming of the Son of man (v. 27), and wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together (v. 28).  (NOTE:  We will come back and discuss these points in another lesson).

 

II.           QUESTION #2:  Spirits in the Bible

 

A.     Stated:  We talked about an evil spirit in Saul.  How many spirits are mentioned in the Bible?

 

B.     Answer:

1.       Three times in the life of Saul we read of an evil spirit from the Lord coming upon him (I Sam. 16:14; 18:10; 19:9).

 

But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.

 

a.       The Spirit of the Lord

1)       After Samuel anointed Saul to be king, he was told that he would meet a company of the prophets and the Spirit of the Lord would come upon him and he would prophesy, and would be turned into another man (I Sam. 10:6).

a)       This Spirit apparently involved the power of the Holy Spirit.

b)      We only have one example of this Spirit working in the life of Saul (I Sam. 11:6).

-          This happened when Nahash the king of the Ammonites came against Jabesh.

-          Exactly what the Spirit enabled Saul to do at that time, we are not told, unless He endowed Saul with wisdom to handle the situation.

2)       After Saul’s disobedience to God in the battle against the Amalekites, David was anointed by Saul as king.  It was immediately after this that the Spirit of the Lord was taken from Saul and the evil spirit came upon him. (I Sam. 16:14).

b.      The evil spirit

1)       This evil spirit is said to have been “from the Lord.”

2)       This causes us to ask:  “What kind of spirit was it?”

a)       Was it a demon that the Lord allowed to come upon Saul?

b)      Or, was it a disposition, an attitude, or affliction that was allowed to come upon Saul?

c)       ANSWER:  I believe that is was some type of disposition or affliction.  The reason is because, this spirit could be “medicated” with music (I Sam. 16:23).

 

And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that David took an harp, and played with his hand:  so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him.

 

2.       Now let’s answer the question asked:  “How many spirits are mentioned in the Bible?”  There many spirits mentioned in the Bible.

a.       The Holy Spirit (Gen. 1:2)

b.      Man’s spirit (I Cor. 2:11)

c.       Angels (Heb. 1:14)

d.      Spirit of heaviness (Isa. 61:3)

e.       Spirit of bondage (Rom. 8:15)

f.        Wounded spirit (Prov. 18:14)

g.       Evil spirit (I Sam. 16:14)

h.      Unclean spirit (Matt. 12:43)

i.        Dumb spirit (Mark 9:17)

j.         Spirit of slumber (Rom. 11:8)

k.      Spirit of deep sleep (Isa. 29:10)

l.        Spirit of your mind (Eph. 4:23)

m.    Spirit of anti-Christ (I John 4:3)

n.      Spirit of error (I John 4:6)

o.      Hasty spirit (Prov. 14:29)

p.      Broken spirit (Prov. 15:13)

q.      Haughty spirit (Prov. 16:13)

r.        Spirit of fear (II Tim. 1:7)

s.        Lying spirit (I Kings 22:22)

t.        Spirit of whoredoms (Hos. 4:12)

u.      Spirit of divination (Acts 16:16)

v.       Spirit of infirmity (Luke 13:11)

w.      Seducing spirit (I Tim. 4:1)

x.       Spirit of wisdom and understanding (Isa. 11:2)

y.       Spirit of counsel and might (Isa. 11:2)

z.       Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord (Isa. 11:2)

aa.    Spirit of wisdom and revelation (Eph. 1:17)

bb.  Spirit of truth (I John 4:6)

cc.    Faithful spirit (Prov. 11:13)

dd.  Humble spirit (Prov. 16:19)

ee.   And excellent spirit (Prov. 17:27)

ff.      Spirit of judgment and burning (Isa. 4:4)

gg.    Spirit of grace and supplication (Zech. 4:4)

hh.  Spirit of adoption (Rom. 8:5)

ii.      Spirit of jealousy (of man) (Num. 5:14)

C.     These spirits need to be categorized:

1.       Living spirits

a.       God

1)       God the Father (John 4:24)

2)       The Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13)

3)       NOTE:  Jesus used to be a spirit being, but He took the form of a man and is now in heaven possessing a spiritual body (Phil. 3:20).

b.      Angels (Heb. 1:14)

1)       Angels of God

2)       Satan (Eph. 2:2)

3)       Angels who followed Satan

c.       The spirit of man (Heb. 12:23)

d.      Demonic spirits (Mark 9:20, this verse just refers to the demonic spirit as a spirit.)

2.       Descriptive terms applied to spirit beings

a.       Deity

1)       Eternal spirit (Heb. 9:14)

2)       Holy Spirit (Luke 11:13)

3)       Spirit of truth (John 16:13)

b.      Satan

c.       Angels

1)       Good angels

2)       Bad angels

a)       Lying spirit (I Kings 22:22)

b)      Seducing spirit (I Tim. 4:1)

d.      Demons

1)       Type of spirit

a)       Unclean spirit (Matt. 12:43)

b)      Evil spirit (Acts 19:15)

c)       Foul spirit (Mark 9:25)

2)       Effect the spirit had

a)       Dumb spirit (Mark 9:17)

b)      Spirit of divination (Acts 16:16)

c)       Spirit of infirmity (Luke 13:11)

e.       Man

1)       Positive descriptions

a)       Faithful spirit (Prov. 11:13)

b)      Excellent spirit (Prov. 17:27)

2)       Negative descriptions

a)       Spirit of slumber (Rom. 11:8)

b)      Hasty spirit (Prov. 14:29)

c)       Humble spirit (Prov. 16:19)

d)      Haughty spirit (Prov. 16:13)

e)       Spirit of fear (II Tim. 1:7)

f)        Wounded spirit (Prov. 18:14)

g)       Spirit of heaviness (Isa. 61:3)

3.       Mindsets that individuals can possess

a.       Spirit of adoption (Rom. 8:15):  the feeling love, acceptance, and belonging

b.      Spirit of bondage (Rom. 8:15):  the feeling of bondage, oppression, and fear

c.       Spirit of antichrist (I John 4:3):  a mindset that would not confess Jesus is the Christ

d.      Spirit of truth (I John 4:6):  the mindset that would hear the Word of God

e.       Spirit of error (I John 4:6):  the mindset that would not hear the Word of God

 

 

 

CONCLUSION

 

A.     We have only looked at two questions.

1.       One involving Matthew 24

2.       The other one involving the spirits that are mentioned in the Bible.

 

B.     It is hoped that we have learned two things:

1.       When studying the Bible, we must pay close attention to the text and what is actually being said by the writer.  Jesus said:  “…this generation shall not pass till…”

2.       When studying the Bible, we can get into topics that involve a lot of time and effort to research such as the different types of spirits mentioned in the Word of God.

3.       NOTE:  Even though study may be slow and meticulous, once we have completed our investigation, it yields rich rewards.