The whole of Jesus’ teaching was before the church??? So are you saying all that Jesus taught was only for the Jews???
No. The comment about the Church not yet existing was more of a peripheral and supportive detail. The real reason we know Jesus couldn't be talking to the global church is because He is warning a group of people to flee
from Jerusalem. He then says to pray that it will not happen on a
Sabbath (which wouldn't be meaningful to a gentile group, whether its a member of His Church or not). These words I have highlighted in bold are the reasons we can know the target audience of Jesus.
1. He is saying that people should flee from
Jerusalem (when the Abomination is erected in the temple).
2. He is talking an audience of
Sabbath Observers
I think Jesus was talking to the church
I have a lot of thought too, but I keep them to myself when they can't be substantiated Biblical.
It’s your view that his teaching was only for the first century Jews.
1. That's not my view. You're putting words in my mouth.
2. My view, your view, who cares?
Is it Biblical?...that's what matters.
I actually know for a fact that the christians in Jerusalem heeded that warning and left. They all survived. So the church KNEW it was for them, not the Jews who heard Jesus.
They heeded what He said because He didn't tell them when this will happen.
In the same way, Paul believed in the eminence of the rapture, and heeded the Word concerning it.
In Paul's case
and in the case of the heeding Jews (
Matt 24), they're
belief in the timing of these prophesied events are not what
determines their timing
.
Further, we know that
the events Jesus prophesied in Matthew 24 about The Abomination of Desolation (what the people were told to flee from) hasn't happened yet.
Show me
when and
where in history where that
Abomination and erected and I will change my view.