Stars Falling from Heaven? It’s Already Happened!
“The Bible was written for us, not to us… You will never understand what it means to you now, until you first understand what it meant to them then…” ~ Randall Worley
SIGNIFICATION – “the representation or conveying of a message” (Oxford), or more simply defined, as “this refers to that”, was often the standard method of writing throughout the Old Covenant Bible and the early days of the First Century Church. It’s immediately spoken of in the very first verse of the Book of Revelation, and commonly applied within multiplied truckloads of prophetic passages throughout the entirety of scriptures. The Apostle Paul refers to it in Acts 26:22-23, when he states that he taught “none other things” than those things which the prophets and Moses did say should come… and then stated in 1Cor. 2:13, that his method of Biblical Interpretation was to compare “spiritual things with spiritual”. So, why is it then, that the present-day church system wants to continually ignore this widely used Eastern cultural concept in lieu of comparing Spiritual things with Natural? Is it simply an ignorance of Eastern culture, or could it be their utter unwillingness to let go of years and years of Dispensational Theology (aka. Futurism)? Perhaps a combination of both, my friends, but in this article, we are going to take a quick look at a couple of commonly overlooked significations from Matthew 24, involving the Heavens, the Earth, and the luminaries of Heaven! As I Have already broken down much of the other symbolism regarding this chapter in previous articles, the focus of this post will primarily be the topic which was just mentioned above. Why? Because there are certain religious circles out there as I speak, who are trying to push Matthew 24 way into the future, for the sole purpose that they erroneously believe that the Heavens and Earth which are mentioned here, are the Atmospheric Heavens and the Earth on which we stand. We shall see.
Before we look at the actual passage at hand (Matt. 24:29), however, for the purpose of clarity in our present article, I must quickly bring to our remembrance just a couple of facts concerning this chapter which we’ve already discussed from earlier posts, so we have a proper foundation on which to proceed. First and foremost, we must understand the meaning of the question which was asked of Jesus in Matthew 24:3, by the disciples in the first place: “What shall be the sign of thy coming and of the End of the World?” We’ll start with the latter part of that question first. As we have already noted in several other articles and posts up to this point, the Greek word for the word “World” here, is not the word which refers to planet earth, but the word “Aion” which simply means “an Age”; and the “Age” which we discovered that was still in effect during that period of time, was the AGE OF THE LAW, or the Old Covenant, Mosaic System! That’s not speculation, folks. All we did was simply investigate the meaning of the Greek word which was used for the word “World” there, and then associate it with the “AGE” which was in effect during the early part of the First Century. That’s it. That’s all the effort it took, my friends, and the entire narrative which we’ve been taught for years by the doom and gloom prophets of FUTURISM instantly changes! Matthew 24, therefore, has nothing to do, whatsoever, with a detailed list of cataclysmic events that would occur on the earth some 2000 years or more down the road, but rather a list of events (thru signs) which would occur during the transition period from the Old to the New Covenant (the END OF THE AGE – aka. WORLD)! The Book of Hebrews verifies this.
“For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now ONCE in the END OF THE WORLD hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself (at Calvary). (Heb. 9:26)
Can you hear that, my friends? Christ died ONCE, at the END OF THE WORLD, to put away sin. The Greek word for “World” there, once again, is “AION”, which means “AGE”. It’s the same word which used in Matthew 24! The END OF THE WORLD which Matthew 24 refers to, therefore, is the END of the AGE OF THE LAW! Period! Does this line of reasoning line up with what Jesus had stated to his disciples earlier on in that day? Absolutely, beloved, for with the changing of the covenants from the Old to the New, the location from which God’s PRESENCE was housed would also be changed, from the Temple in Jerusalem to the Temple which we are! What did Jesus say? “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.” (Matt. 24:2) And that’s exactly what happened, my friends with the siege on Jerusalem and the destruction of the Jewish Temple in 70AD! In addition, the Book of Hebrews says it this way:
“For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. HE TAKETH AWAY THE FIRST, THAT HE MAY ESTABLISH THE SECOND. (Heb. 10:1-9)
This now brings us to the earlier part of the disciple’s question: What shall be the SIGN of thy COMING and of the END OF THE WORLD? Once again, we’ll find that a quick investigation into the meaning of the Greek word for “COMING” here completely changes everything, for the actual meaning of the word “Parousia” is “PRESENCE”. So, when you put the two parts of the question together and then meditate on it a bit, you suddenly realize the entire situational setting for Matthew 24. With the End of the World (Age of the Old Covenant) coming to a closure through the cutting of the New Covenant at Calvary, His “PRESENCE” would now necessitate a CHANGING OF THE TEMPLE in which it would operate! It would necessitate a departure from the Old Covenant’s Natural Temple made with men’s hands, and an entrance into the New Covenant’s Spiritual Temple, whose house we are! That’s the background of Matthew 24, my friends. The entire chapter of Matthew 24 concerns the warnings given by Jesus regarding the LAST DAYS OF JUDAISM and the coming siege on Jerusalem in 70AD, where both its Temple and City would be completely destroyed! It was the prophetical signs and warnings given by Jesus himself, concerning what He had just described to them earlier in the day:
“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.” (Matt. 24:2)
This brings us to another interesting passage which I have already posted an article on entitled, “Heaven and Earth have already passed away!” Now that we have the backdrop of Matthew 24 correctly interpreted, it will be much easier for us to understand what verse 35 of this chapter is actually referring to.
“Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” (Matt. 24:35)
Though I’m not going to rewrite the article mentioned above, I do want to emphasize a couple of the main points from it so we can broaden our understanding of this chapter before talking about the LUMINARIES OF HEAVEN.
“For verily I say unto you, till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. (Matt. 5:18)
When reading this passage in the past, in our limited understanding, our minds had always been focused upon the aspect concerning whether a believer is still responsible for keeping the law along with grace, because we knew that the atmospheric Heavens and the Earth on which we live are still here. But let’s look at it from the other perspective for a moment. According to this passage, if HEAVEN AND EARTH have not passed away, THEN WE ARE STILL UNDER EVERY JOT AND TITTLE OF THE LAW! Isn’t that what it says, my friends? That’s exactly what it says, and we all know that this is just not the case! So, perhaps the HEAVEN AND EARTH mentioned here is not actually referring to the atmospheric heavens and the earth on which we stand, but rather something else. This brings us to Psalms 78:69, and Isaiah 65.
“He built his sanctuary like the high HEAVENS, like the EARTH, which he has founded forever.” (Ps. 78:69)
Ah, are you beginning to see it now, my friends? In Jewish literature, which our westernized church system has little understanding of, the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem was often referred to as Heaven and Earth! It was often understood to be a PORTAL on earth, which connected God’s chosen people to Heaven, and it was referred to as both the “Navel of the Earth”, and the “Gateway to Heaven”. Let’s move on now to Isaiah 65.
“I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not: I said, behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name. I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts; A people that provoketh me to anger continually to my face; that sacrificeth in gardens, and burneth incense upon altars of brick; Which remain among the graves, and lodge in the monuments, which eat swine's flesh, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels; Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day. Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will recompense, even recompense into their bosom, your iniquities, and the iniquities of your fathers together, saith the Lord, which have burned incense upon the mountains, and blasphemed me upon the hills: therefore, will I measure their former work into their bosom.” (Is. 65:1-7)
In the earlier verses of Isaiah 65 quoted above, God records his anger and displeasure for the Jewish nation and Apostate Israel, and prophecies its destruction! Then, in verse nine, He promises to bring a SEED OUT OF JACOB (CHRIST), to which he will give His inheritance to. It was a prophetic utterance regarding that which was to come during the transitory period from the Old to the New Covenant. But the prophecy doesn’t stop there, my friends. In verse 17, He then states the following:
“For, behold, I create NEW HEAVENS AND A NEW EARTH: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.” (Is. 65:17)
Can you see it, beloved? This chapter is not talking about the destruction of the Atmospheric Heavens, and the Earth on which we live at some future time way down the road as Futurism predicts, but rather the destruction of the Jewish Temple (Heaven and Earth) in Jerusalem in 70AD, and the establishing of the Spiritual Temple (the New Jerusalem) which we are! A New Heavens and a New Earth! In fact, in the Book of Revelation, the 3 ROOMS OF THE TABERNACLE are referred to as Heaven (Holy of Holies/Spirit), Earth (Holy Place/Soul), and the Sea of Glass (Basin in the Outer Court – Physical Body Realm). Let’s move on now to the main purpose for this writing.
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:” (Matt. 24:29)
Before we move back to a couple of Old Testament passages, let me quickly bring to your remembrance the PURPOSE for the Old Testament writings:
“Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written FOR OUR ADMONITION, upon whom the ENDS OF THE WORLD are come. (1 Cor. 10:11)
The sole purpose for the writings of the Old Testament, my friends, was not for the people of that day, but to present NATURAL examples of SPIRITUAL truths to “US”, a people whom the ENDS (PLURAL) OF THE WORLD are come! You see, my friends, the reason why the word “ENDS” is written in the plural form here, is not that there will be multiple “ENDS” to the AGE OF THE LAW, or multiple “ENDS” to planet earth, but because every believer must come to his/her own revelation of what actually took place during that time period (the END) before they can completely enter in to the fullness of what the New Covenant which was established then has to offer. So, in closing, let’s look at a couple of NATURAL examples from the Old Testament with the intent of drawing from them the SPIRITUAL truths which they paint us a picture of. Do you remember the dreams of Joseph? Ah, my friends, I suddenly sense that you know exactly where I’m headed!
“And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. (Gen. 37:5-7)
“And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and behold, the SUN and the MOON and the ELEVEN STARS made obeisance to me.” (Gen. 37:9)
Wow! Maybe the Spirit of Revelation has hit you, and maybe it hasn’t yet, beloved, but we now have enough ammunition to take us clear to the end of our article! Remember, we are after the SPIRITUAL UNDERSTANDING of the picture which is being painted here, my friends, not the historical event!
In Joseph’s FIRST DREAM, we see Joseph and his eleven brothers bundling the grain of the field into sheaves at harvest time. Suddenly, Joseph’s sheave stood upright, while his brothers’ sheaves circled around and bowed down to his! Joseph and his brothers are a picture of the 12 TRIBES OF ISRAEL, my friends, the NATION with whom God entered into the OLD COVENANT with! The “FIELD” is symbolic of the “WORLD” (Matt. 13:38)! Harvest Time, speaks of the “END OF AN AGE”, which in this case, is the “END OF THE WORLD”, and Joseph, is a prophetic type of Jesus (The one with whom the New Covenant was established thru)! So, what do we have here? Years in advance of when it would actually happen, we have an exact, prophetic picture of exactly what Matthew 24 is talking about. At the “END OF THE WORLD” (AGE OF THE LAW), the OLD COVENANT (12 TRIBES OF ISRAEL), would bow down and give way to JESUS (JOSEPH) and the NEW COVENANT, as He would STAND UP to take His rightful place…. And He absolutely did!
But it didn’t end there, folks. In Joseph’s SECOND DREAM, the overall layout of the dream itself was identical except for one important detail…. the symbolism had changed, and therefore, a very important concept was added! This time, Joseph saw the SUN, MOON, and STARS bow down to him! What does this all mean? The SUN, MOON, AND STARS, were the GOVERNING BODIES OF THE HEAVENS! They were the rulers of the Old Covenant, the entire Judaic System with its Temple worship (HEAVEN and EARTH). They were only the SHADOW of Christ and the New Covenant to come! So, what does this all mean when we put it all together? At the “END OF THE WORLD” the “AGE OF THE LAW”, Jerusalem, along with the Old Covenant and its “TEMPLE” (HEAVEN AND EARTH) would “PASS AWAY”, and give way or “BOW DOWN”, to JESUS (JOSEPH) and the NEW COVENANT! At that time, the SUN (HIGH PRIEST who pictured Christ during that AGE) would be darkened, the MOON (the LAW) would no longer shine her light, and the STARS (rulers of the TEMPLE WORSHIP – HEAVEN), would fall from HEAVEN as every one of them would be destroyed during the 3 ½ year siege on JERUSALEM! It was “LIGHTS OUT” for the RULERS OF THE OLD COVENANT… MYSTERY BABYLON… the APOSTATE RELIGIOUS SYSTEM of that AGE!! Regarding the EARTH, the HOLY PLACE of the TEMPLE, Josephus recorded that the fires which had been started within during the final moments of the siege had become so hot, that the elements of the Temple literal melted in the heat, to the point where Titus, the leader of the Roman Army had every stone of it OVERTURNED to collect the gold spoils which had once lined its walls!
“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. (2 Pet. 3:10)
So, there you have it, my friends. Matthew 24 has nothing to do, whatsoever, with neither the Atmospheric Heavens, nor this Earth on which we live from passing away. It referred to Jerusalem and its Temple of Old Covenant worship passing away during the transitory period between the Old and New Covenants! Likewise, therefore, the darkening and falling of the Luminaries of Heaven were also not LITERAL but spoke of the removal of the GOVERNING AUTHORITIES of the Old Covenant Temple Worship (HEAVEN). With the ushering in of Christ, and the establishing of the New Covenant, these GOVERNING AUTHORITIES would no longer give their LIGHT! Yet another toy which has now been removed from the devilish toybox called FUTURISM!