Matthew Chapter 24

VERSE 17 and 18 “Let 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.

The “housetop” in 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.”

The “field” 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.”

VERSE 19 “But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days!”

There are spiritual “babes,” as well as fleshly babes, and bastards as well as sons. The Apostle Paul describes his interest in gospel work as that of a mother travailing with child. He says, “O my little children, [because] of whom I travail in birth again, until Christ be formed in you.” (Gal. 4:19)

Similarly all faithful servants of Christ, all earnest laborers for souls, are such as are described in this text as being “with child.” Spiritual child-bearing after the apostolic example is most honorable service, and engages the attention of some of God’s most devoted children. But alas! As the desire of Abraham and Sarah to help fulfil God’s promises led to an unauthorized method, and produced an Ishmael class, which, born after the flesh, persecuted the seed born legitimately, so is it with many of these who now are “with child“; they are helping to produce illegitimate “children of God (i.e. “TARES”).” It should be remembered by all, however, that only legitimate means should be employed: all the children of God are begotten by the word and spirit of the truth, and not by human theory and spirit of the world.

False views of the divine plan (the supposition that all except the elect Church will be everlastingly tormented) have in some so stimulated their desires to bring forth “children” that they have resorted to various human devices for begetting them–overlooking the fact that all not “begotten of God,” all not begotten “by the word of truth“–(not merely of the letter of the Word, but “begotten of the spirit” of the truth), are spurious, and not reckoned as of God nor treated as sons. (Heb. 12:8) As a consequence the Church nominal of today makes “a fair show in the flesh“–numerically, financially, and intellectually–and has much of “the form of godliness” without its real spirit and power to control the heart. It is full of “babes,” some indeed babes in Christ, but many, many bastards, not sons of God; begotten of error instead of truth–“TARES.” And the constant effort is to bring forth more even of the spurious progeny–hoping thus to save them from eternal torment, the unjust sentence of a supposed merciless God.

Alas! how difficult it is for these dear children of God who are thus figuratively, in our Savior’s words, “with child,” to flee from the nominal church system with its multitudinous machinery for false and rapid begetting, which they have learned to glory in and to boast of. Yes, it will be difficult for these to leave all and flee to the Lord and his mountain (Kingdom). It will be difficult for them to believe that the Lord is really good and just and merciful, and that he has a gracious plan which makes full provision for every member of Adam’s race–all redeemed by the great “ransom for ALL.”

The class which gives “suck” in these days also contains many noble, good, well-meaning children of God. It includes many ministers and Sunday School teachers—whose religious work consists in giving out “milk“; not always the “pure milk of the Word,” however, for they generally dilute and adulterate it with tradition, philosophy and worldly-wisdom opiates, which keep their “babes” docile, sleepy, “good“; and hinder their growth in knowledge and grace, which they have come to consider dangerous.

Some few of these teachers do indeed endeavor to give the “pure milk of the word” that their “babes” may grow thereby and learn to eat and assimilate the strong meat and come to manhood in Christ, but repeated experiments they declare prove to them that even the “pure milk of the word” will not agree with the majority of their “babes“; and hence they consider it duty to adulterate the milk (mix in worldly theories and doctrines) lest their “babes” sicken and die.

Ah! they do not recognize that the majority of their “babes,” not being begotten of the spirit of the truth, never will be able to assimilate spiritual “milk“; because “the natural man receives not the things of the spirit of God, neither can he appreciate them, because they are of spiritual appreciation.” (1 Cor. 2:14, 12) Neither do they see that this failure to discriminate is starving, stunting and poisoning the true spiritual “babes” under their care– who “for the time (or by this time) ought to be teachers (themselves).” Heb. 5:12

So many of this class (those with child or who are nursing) as are true children of God will hear the call, “Come out of her my people,” and will also have great difficulty in this day. As they come to see present truth (the truths concerning the true condition of Babylon, the professing church) they will not only fear to give it to those under their care, but they will also fear to act upon it themselves, lest it separate them from their charges. “For example, if a Sunday school teacher has a class of adolescents and is attached to them and is trying to nurture them in the Lord and in knowledge, it is extremely difficult to separate under that circumstance and to obey the call to come out of Babylon.” They will fear to flee in this day; realizing that but few of their “babes” would be able or willing to join in the flight; and indeed only the spiritual will be able to endure the ordeal. Some will pass the crisis in safety as “over-comers“; while others, fearful, will be left to come through the great tribulation.” (D575-577)

Continued with next post.