Text:
Matthew 24:16,17 "Then let them which be in Judaea
flee into the mountains:
17 Let him which is on the housetop not
come down to take any thing out of his house."
Today, I'd like to preach a message entitled "The Parable Of The Housetops."
In Matthew chapter 24, Christ talks about many important things to be aware of during the last days. In this text, he warned us not to come down from the housetops to take any thing out of our houses. But, this seems to be an incomprehensible expression. If we read this verse literally, any man who ascends to housetop can not go down from there. What should we do, if we ascend to the housetop and our baby cries in the house? Should we leave it alone? Or what if there is a sick person in the house? Just leave him or her alone? And what shall I do on the housetop if I have to stay up there for many days? Should we sleep or eat up there? If we are lucky enough, there may be a bed on the housetop, but not every house has a bed set on this kind of place!! The Bible says the tribulation period is 3 and a half years. Are we to stay on the housetop for that long?
Does "not to come down" mean to continue staying on the housetop? We can not run away to the mountain, or flee by car or by bicycle without first coming down from the roof. If we had to continue to stay on the housetop, it would be very inconvenient for us, wouldn't it?
Do only the people who stay on the housetop receive special help? How about the people who are physically weak and can not go up onto the housetop? Will they not be saved? The Bible says "to take any thing out of his house." What does that mean? Maybe it suggests the entering of the antichrist into our house. But, is there any law that stipulates that the antichrist can only capture the man who is within his house and has to release the man who is on the housetop? I suppose the man who is on the housetop will be more visible for the antichrist, therefore he has more of a possibility to be caught by him. Doesn't he?
In a word, if we read this scripture literally, it is very incomprehensible one. But, the Bible says that Jesus talks in parables. So, these scriptures must be a parable. Since that appears to be so, let's understand the parabolic content of his message.
What is the symbolic meaning of "house" in the Bible? In 1 Timothy 3:15, it says "the house of God, which is the church of the living God." So, biblically speaking, a house stands for the church. Just before the subject scripture, it says:
Matthew 24:15 "When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (who so readeth, let him understand."
I think this "holy place" means the church. The church is the place where we worship God. There is no holier place than this on this earth. "The abomination of desolation" has to do with the antichrist, and he will declare himself as God in the church.
2 Thessalonians 2:4 4 "Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God."
When antichrist declares himself as God, the church is changed to a different one. Therefore, the Lord warned us not to come down to the house (church). The text says, "to take any thing out of his house." If we have a high position in the church, or a good income from church, or have a good reputation, we should not come in it "to take any thing out of the house." It is like the Christians of the underground church in China. They have a distance from the church which is recognized by communism government.
Revelation 18:4 "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues."
This is the church to be judged by God. So, we are warned to come out of her.
In next verse, it puts it like this:
Matthew 24:18 "Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes."
A field is the place to sow seed. The seed is God's word. It is the place for preaching the gospel. We are warned not to come back to the church from there.
No pastor in any age or any country ever taught his people not to come to church or to come out of the church. But, this is a very special time during the end time. To remain in the church in this age means to worship the antichrist, and worse we may betray our brothers and sisters in the church. This age is different from business as usual. Therefore, these things are written in parables.
Let's do the will of Lord in this end time.
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