Buying and Selling Ends

Buying and Selling Ends

Matthew 21:12 – Then Jesus entered the temple area and drove out all those who were selling and buying in the temple courts, and turned over the tables of the money changers and the chairs of those selling doves. 13 – And he said to them, “It is written, ‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are turning it into a den of robbers!”

Mark 11:18 – The chief priests and the experts in the law heard it and they considered how they could assassinate him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed by his teaching.

The chief priests and experts were scared of Jesus.  The power and authority Jesus displayed when He put a stop to the buying and selling terrified them, but because Jesus was just a man to them they figured they could get rid of Him when the opportunity presented itself.  Little did they know they were already playing their part in fulfilling Bible prophecy.  

Did you know that this was not the only time Jesus put a stop to the buying and selling?  Check out this prophecy found in Ezekiel 7.

verse 9 – My eye will not pity you; I will not spare you. For your behavior I will hold you accountable, and you will suffer the consequences of your abominable practices. Then you will know that it is I, the LORD, who is striking you. 10 – “Look, the day! Look, it is coming! Doom has gone out! the staff has budded, pride has blossomed! 11 – Violence has grown into a staff that supports wickedness. Not one of them will be left – not from their crowd, not from their wealth, not from their prominence. 12 – The time has come; the day has struck! The customer should not rejoice, nor the seller mourn; for divine wrath comes against their whole crowd.13 – The customer will no longer pay the seller while both parties are alive, for the vision against their whole crowd will not be revoked. Each person, for his iniquity, will fail to preserve his life. 14 – “They have blown the trumpet and everyone is ready, but no one goes out to battle, because my anger is against their whole crowd.

If you read the entire chapter you’ll find that this halting of buying and selling is tied to a ‘one-of-a-kind’ end of time judgment on the house of Israel.  A similar prophecy in Revelation encompasses the whole world.  Imagine our global situation becoming so corrupt that unless one worships according to the dictates of world powers they would be barred from buying, selling and be sentenced to death!  Jesus will return to put a stop to the corruption – for the whole world becomes a den of thieves.  Think of Jesus overturning the tables of the money changers but on a final global scale.  It will be so severe that even gold, silver, and other precious metals will be worthless as currency.

Read Revelation 18 concerning the fall of Babylon:  verse 9 – Then the kings of the earth who committed immoral acts with her adn lived in sensual luxury with her will weep and wail for her when they see the smoke from the fire that burns her up. 10 – They will stand a long way off because they are afraid of her torment, and will say, “Woe,woe, O great city, Babylon the powerful city! For in a single hour your doom as come!” 11 – Then the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn for her because no one buys their cargo any longer – 12 – cargo such as gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fine linen, purple cloth, silk, scarlet cloth, all sorts of things made of citron wood, all sorts of objects made of ivory, all sorts of things made of expensive wood, bronze, iron and marble,…

Don’t be overcome by the passion to buy and sell to get more and greater stuff for when it all comes to a halt, what then?  Will we weep in sadness that the end has come or weep for joy that Jesus has come?

So then, don’t worry saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink’ or ‘What will we wear?’ For the unconverted pursue these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own. – Matthew 6:31-34.