The Caldwell Commentaries Podcast

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This is the first in a two-part study on how the Lord Jesus, on the last night of His pre-resurrection time spent with His Apostles, transitioned the Passover "Seder" memorial celebration into what Christians refer to as "The Lord's Supper".  In this first message, we discuss the original Egyptian Passover, which led to Israel's deliverance from her bondage, and the Permanent Passover Memorial (which God command Israel to annually celebrate so each succeeding generation would not forget what He had done for His people in delivering them from bondage in Egypt.  We talk about the spiritual significance of the Passover lamb, the bitter herbs, and the unleavened bread.  We also look at the Passion Week Passover (how it was celebrated by Christ and His men), seeing how events like His washing of the disciples' feet, John's question of John 13:25, and the handing of the sop to Judas all fit so perfectly into the sequence of the Passover service.

Charles Spurgeon said, "The Jewish Passover was made to melt into the Lord's Supper, as the stars of the morning dissolve into the light of the sun".  If Christians, who regularly participate in the ordinance of "The Lord's Supper" (aka "Communion") want to understand all that it signifies, they must see and understand it in the light of the Jewish Passover! Why? Because it was in the Jewish Passover "framework" that Christ instituted His Supper.

Before Jesus spoke the beautiful "Parable of the Ten Virgins," He gave two more admonishments (the first three are discussed in lesson 138).  They are "The Sleeping Porter Admonishment" (Mark 13:33-37) and "The Daily Care Admonishment" (Luke 21:34-36).  Through all five parabolic warnings, the Lord was warning those living in the Tribulation ("The Time of Jacob's Trouble" - Jeremiah 30:7), "BE READY!  I have given you many signs, so although you will not know the exact day or hour of My return, you can know when it is very near!  Do not be caught unprepared!"

Included in this discussion is an informative look at the Jewish wedding customs of Christ's day.  It is imperative to understand the three phases of the Jewish marriage to rightly interpret this parable (it also gives further proof for a pre-Tribulation Rapture).  

Lots of great truths to learn, so click the "play" button!

The Lord's "Parable of the Fig Tree" has become a controversial parable; part of the controversy is because it has been viewed as a complicated allegory rather than a simple analogy.  A popular interpretation of this parable says the fig tree pictures Israel and her reinstatement as a nation in 1948 is its "budding" in the parable.  The conclusion then means the generation that saw Israel's reinstatement will see Christ's return (the Rapture)! Hear the Biblical reasons not to interpret the parable that way and find out how it should be interpreted!

Also discussed are the Lord's "Flood Admonishment" (as in the days of Noah so shall also the coming of the Son of man be), His "Thief Admonishment" (Matthew 24:43, 44), and His "Evil Servant Admonishment" (24:45-51).  These are important "warnings" that must be rightly interpreted.  Something to continually remember is the Church is not in "The Olivet Discourse".

This lesson brings us to a discussion of the most momentous event of all time: the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus in all His Divine Glory!  Did you realize prophecies regarding the Second Coming make-up 1/3rd of all prophecies of Scripture?  Do you know of the 333 prophecies regarding Christ Jesus, 109 were fulfilled at His First Coming, while 224 remain to be fulfilled at His Second Coming!  Next to the subject of faith, no other subject is mentioned more in the Bible than Christ's Return.  One more statistic: for every one time the First Coming is mention, the Second Coming is mentioned 8 times!

This lesson is about one of the 21 times the Lord predicted His Return.  In addition to predicting the blasphemous abomination of desolation (lesson 136), He gave a sign that will immediately precede His Return - a great decrease in light from the celestial luminary bodies.  At almost the same instant as that decrease in light, "the sign of the Son of man" will appear in the sky!    Find out from this study what that final sign  might be!

To this point in His Olivet Discourse, the Lord Jesus spoke about the end-times' rise of false christs, wars and rumors of wars, famines, pestilences, and earthquakes - all of which will begin to noticeably increase in frequency and intensity (like labor pains) during the first 3 1/2 years of the Tribulation (Daniel's final 7-year "week" - 9:24-27).  He also predicted that, during the second 3 1/2 years, there would be great persecution of Jews and Christians, the rise of many false prophets, and the proliferation of sin and total lawlessness (Matthew 24:9-12).

In Matthew 24:15, Christ gave the specific sign that would divide the two halves of the Tribulation Period.  It is the sign that should warn Jews living in Israel, as well as Tribulation saints, that massive persecution (by the Antichrist) is about to begin.

Find out about an historical "abomination of desolation" (Antiochus Epiphanes), which served as a prophetic preview of the even greater "abomination of desolation" the Antichrist will perform as he breaks his "covenant" with Israel (her covenant with death).