MY THOUGHTS ON MATTHEW TWENTY-FOUR

THE QUESTION FROM THE LORD'S JEWISH DISCIPLES: 

WHAT SIGN WILL SIGNAL YOUR RETURN?

Matthew 24:3 - And as Jesus sat upon the Mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, Tell us...what shall be the sign of Thy coming...? 

   MY THOUGHTS ON THE LORD'S ANSWER:  MATTHEW 24:4-31

THE TRIBULATION IS THE TIME OF JACOB'S TROUBLE;

THE CHURCH WILL BE IN HEAVEN!

The First Half of the Tribulation:  Israel thinks the Antichrist is their Messiah!

[4]  Take heed that no man deceive you. 

[5]  For many deceivers will come claiming to be Me. 

[6]  Israel shall hear of wars and rumors of wars but not experience them. 
[7]  There shall be wars, famines, disease, and earthquakes, but not in Israel.
[8]  All these are the beginning of sorrows.  
[9]  The Jews will persecute believers in their synagogues (see Mk. 13:9; Lk. 21:12).
[10]  And then shall many betray one another, and shall hate one another.
[11]  And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
[12]  And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
[13]  But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
[14]  The Gospel will be preached worldwide by My two witnesses (Rev. 11:3-12), and then shall the end come.

The Middle of the Tribulation:  Israel's Eyes Opened (Rom. 11:25-26)!

[15]  When you see the Antichrist declare himself god in the Temple (Dan. 9:27),

[16]  Then Israel shall flee into the mountains:

[17]  Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
[18]  Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
[19]  And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
[20]  But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day.

The Second Half of the Tribulation:  Israel Protected (Rev. 12:6)!

[21] For then shall be the greatest tribulation ever! 

[22] And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved:  but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
[23]  Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
[24]  False Christs and false prophets shall show great signs and wonders; do not be deceived!
[25]  I have warned you.
[26]  If they tell you I am at a specific location, do not believe them!

Christ's Second Coming Ends the Tribulation (Rev. 19:11-21)!

[27]  For as lightning is seen from horizon to horizon, so will My return be!

[28]  You will know where I am by seeing the vultures circling the dead (Rev. 19:17-18)!  
[29]  Immediately after the tribulation, the sun and the moon will be darkened, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
[30]  And then I will return from heaven, and all the tribes of the earth shall mourn, when they shall see Me coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
[31]  And He shall send His angels to gather His elect from one end of heaven to the other!

IF YOU ARE STILL HERE WHEN THE ANTICHRIST

CONFIRMS THE SEVEN-YEAR COVENANT WITH THE NATIONS,

YOU HAVE MISSED THE RAPTURE OF THE CHURCH

(Jn. 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:50-54; 1 Th. 1:10; 4:13-18; 5:9; Rev. 4:1)! 

TRUST IN JESUS CHRIST TODAY WHILE THERE IS STILL TIME! 

THE ONLY THING THAT LIMITS CHRIST'S ATONEMENT FOR OUR SIN IS OUR REJECTION OF IT!

THE WORD OF GOD CLEARLY TEACHES THAT JESUS DIED FOR SINNERS

AND SINCE WE ARE ALL SINNERS, JESUS DIED FOR US!

Paul taught that the good news of the Gospel includes the fact that “Christ died for our sins” (1 Corinthians  15:1-4).  Can we honestly share this good news with all men everywhere?  Most of those who believe the teaching of the Reformers, especially Calvin, believe that Christ died as a Substitute and paid sin’s penalty only for the elect, that is, only for those who will eventually be saved.  The Bible uses all kinds of universal terms to make it clear that the Savior died for the sins of Adam’s entire race (Isaiah 53:6; John 6:51; 1 Timothy 2:6; Hebrews 2:9; 1 John 2:2; 2 Peter 2:1; etc.).  Here are a few verses that indicate that God is no respecter of persons:

John 3:15-16 - "That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life.  For God so loved the world, that He gave His Only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

John 11:26 - "And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.  Believest thou this?"

Acts 2:21 - "And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved."

Acts 10:43 - "To Him give all the prophets witness, that through His name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins."

Romans 10:13 - "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."

1 John 4:15 - "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God."

1 John 5:1 - "Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God:  and every one that loveth Him that begat loveth Him also that is begotten of Him."

JESUS DIED TO PAY FOR THE SINS OF THE ENTIRE HUMAN RACE.

IF YOU CHOOSE TO REJECT HIS PAYMENT FOR YOUR SINS,

THEN YOU WILL HAVE TO PAY FOR THEM YOURSELF!

John 8:21, 24 - "Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins:  whither I go, ye cannot come....I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I AM, ye shall die in your sins."

DANIEL: 7 SEVENS, 62 SEVENS, AND 1 SEVEN!

MY UNDERSTANDING OF GOD'S PLAN FOR ISRAEL:  490 YEARS

Daniel 9:24 - "Seventy weeks (seventy sevens) are determined upon thy people (Israel) and upon thy holy city (Jerusalem), to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy (Israel's Messiah)."

NOTES ON VERSE 24 

1)  The word "weeks" is translated from the Hebrew שָׁבוּעַ (shabuwa'), which means "periods of seven days or years, a heptad of seven years":  hence 490 years. 
2)  We know that it is referring to years due to verse 27 saying that the event that marks the middle of the seven years is:  "a time, times, and half a time" (Dan. 7:25; 12:7; Rev. 12:14); "1260 days" (Rev. 11:3; 12:6); "42 months" (Rev. 11:2; 13:5).  Thus, a prophetic year is 360 days.
3)  For Israel, transgression, sin, reconciliation, righteousness, and prophecy will no longer be an issue once their Messiah begins His 1000 year reign (Rev. 20).  That is because midway through the heptad of years, the Tribulation (a.k.a. "Daniel's Seventieth Week" or "the Time of Jacob's Trouble") Israel's eyes are opened and they will all be saved by faith in Jesus - Rom. 11:25-26)!  In other words, I believe that Israel will not officially anoint their Messiah until they are saved and come out of hiding at the end of the Tribulation; that is, when Messiah begins His Millennial Kingdom.

THE REBUILDING OF THE TEMPLE AND THE CITY:  49 YEARS

Daniel 9:25 - "Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks (the seven sevens), and threescore and two weeks (the sixty-two sevens):  the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times."

NOTES ON VERSE 25

1)  The command to restore and rebuild was issued by Artaxerxes in 444 B.C. (Neh. 2:5-8).
2)  It took 49 years for Israel to complete the task.
3)  After the 434 years (the sixty-two sevens) following the rebuilding, Israel rejects her Messiah and He is Crucified (see verse 26).

THE REJECTION OF ISRAEL'S MESSIAH:  434 YEARS

Daniel 9:26 - "And after threescore and two weeks (the sixty-two sevens) shall Messiah be cut off, but not for Himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.

NOTES ON VERSE 26

1)  Jesus died for our sins, as He Himself had never sinned (1 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15).

2)  Rome destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple in A.D. 70.

3)  The Seventy Weeks of Daniel pause after sixty-nine weeks.  Between the sixty-ninth week and the seventieth week, Israel will scattered throughout the world, and the Lord will focus upon the Church (Acts 1:1 - Rev. 3:22), in what is known as the Church Age.  The Church Age will end with the removal of the Church via the Rapture (Jn. 14:1-3; 1 Cor. 15:50-54; 1 Th. 4:13-18; Rev. 4:1).

DANIEL'S SEVENTIETH WEEK:  THE TRIBULATION

Daniel 9:27 - "And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."

NOTES ON VERSE 27

1)  "The Prince" who will come to power, will be a descendent of Rome (see verse 26).
2)  "The covenant" will be a peace agreement that he will promise to protect Israel; perhaps even build their Temple:  the last seven years of the prophecy.  
3)  "And in the midst of the week" (3 1/2 years, 42 months, 1260 days) he will enter the Temple and declare himself to be god (Mt. 24:15; Rev. 13:5-6).
4)  Notice that nothing is mentioned of Israel's Messiah Second Coming and the establishment of His Millennial Kingdom.  I believe the anointing of their Messiah by Israel occurs after His Second Coming, and at the beginning of His 1000 year reign on earth (Rev. 20).

THE TRIBULATION IS DESCRIBED IN REVELATION 6 - 18.

THE SECOND COMING IS DESCRIBED IN REVELATION 19.

THE MILLENNIAL KINGDOM IS DESCRIBED IN REVELATION 20.

SCIENCE VERSES THE BIBLE

THE CENTER OF THE KING JAMES VERSION OF THE BIBLE

*  There are 66 books, consisting of a total of 1189 chapters, in the KJV of the Bible.
*  There are 594 chapters before Psalm 118 and 594 chapters after Psalm 118.
*  Psalm 118 is preceded by Psalm 117, the shortest chapter in the Bible (2 verses, which focus upon praising the LORD, Jehovah, the living Word of God). 
*  Psalm 118 is followed by Psalm 119, the longest chapter in the Bible (176 verses, which focus upon the written Word of God).

*  Psalm 118:8, the middle verse in the entire Bible, reads: 

"It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man."

WE MUST MAKE A CHOICE AS TO WHOM WE WANT TO BELIEVE!

*  Science says the Universe is billions of years old. 

+  The Bible reveals the Creation of the Universe was about 6000 years ago.

*  Science says that abortion is an acceptable way to control the population.

+  The Bible says that God commanded mankind to multiply and fill the earth.

*  Science says that homosexuality is normal.

+  The Bible says that homosexuality is an abomination.

*  Science says that mankind evolved from lower forms of life.

+  The Bible says that God created mankind in His image and likeness.

*  Science says that death is the end of a life.

+  The Bible says that after death, comes the judgment of God.

*  Science says that there is no God.

+  The Bible reveals both God and His plan for mankind.

*  Science claims to be the source of all knowledge.

+  The Bible claims that God has revealed all the knowledge we need.

*  Science teaches survival of the fittest.

+  The Bible teaches the strong are to provide and protect the weak.

*  Science requires constant changes in their textbooks.

+  The Bible requires no changes, nor does it permit them.

*  Science is limited to the knowledge of mortal man.

+  The Bible is "God-breathed" by the Omniscient Creator!

SCIENCE MAY HELP MAN COPE WITH THIS LIFE, BUT

THE BIBLE REVEALS JESUS, THE HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE!