Matthew 24 (Part 2) :23-51

Let's go to Matthew chapter 24 where we are in our second week with this particular chapter and it's kind of a shame actually that I've had to break it up to be honest with you. I told you that Matthew chapter 24 and Matthew chapter 25 are what we call the Olivet Discourse named so because Jesus gave this discourse while sitting on the Mount of Olives overlooking the city of Jerusalem. The first part of the Olivet Discourse which is Matthew 24 is different, quite a bit different from Matthew 25. Matthew 24 is largely prophetic. Matthew 25 is parables which have a prophetic element in them but you can see the difference. It's really best to take all of chapter 24 together. We got through about the first 21 verses last Sunday. So for the sake of continuity and clarity we're going to pick up going through the verses starting in verse 22 and following but I want to read the whole chapter and it's a fairly lengthy chapter so I want to just read the whole thing because it just needs to be taken together. It's just all part of this one big powerful thing. So anyway here we go. You ready? I'll take a deep breath.

Stop there let's pray. Holy Spirit enlighten our hearts open our understanding give us wisdom we look to you as we come into your word we look to you to do that work of illumination that work of understanding Lord. We confess to you that without you we have not the ability to unlock the depth of mystery and wisdom and grace that is given to us in these verses. So father we ask you in Jesus name to impart your Holy Spirit powerfully to our hearts that we might gain a heart of understanding and we pray it in the name of Christ our Savior. Last week I told you as we started off in that first part of chapter 24 that what Jesus was doing was he was foretelling an event you'll remember that this whole thing got started because Jesus left the temple the disciples began to kind of call his attention to the temple as they were leaving and how grand and beautiful it was and Jesus responded by saying do you see all these things I tell you that not one stone will be left on another you know and it'll all be destroyed well that obviously blew away these men they couldn't imagine such a thing happening so they waited though until they got up to the Mount of Olives where they sat down they got to him privately and they said to him okay so you said the temple is going to be completely destroyed when is that going to happen and while you're at it why don't you tell us too what are going to be the signs of your coming and of the end of the age and you would think to yourself why did they ask those questions in relation to one another why did they say when is the temple going to be destroyed and what are going to be the signs of your coming the reason they asked him together is they took them together they could not conceive of the temple being destroyed apart from Christ returning and the end of the age to them it was an end time scenario that had to be in play for the temple to go down so they're asking these questions in tandem together and that is what brings Jesus to the explanation of these things and he says to them he begins to tell them about the destruction of the temple now to us this is history past to them it was history future they didn't know exactly when this was going to take place it turned out that it was exactly well I say exactly it was about 40 years from when Jesus gave this prophecy that the temple was destroyed in AD 70 we talked about that last week we also brought up the fact that while Jesus was talking about the destruction of the temple in all of Jerusalem in this chapter that we've just read that he was at the same time talking about another event a similar event And what we call this is parallel prophecy where two prophetic events are encompassed in a single prophetic statement or group of statements Let me give you a I'm such a visual person I made a little visual aid for you because it helps me to think it through and I thought it might help you to Parallel prophecy can be pictured like this The prophecy goes out from the Prophet and it has a short-term fulfillment in this case the short-term fulfillment is the destruction of the temple which again took place about 40 years after this prophecy was given in 8070 but in the case of a parallel prophecy and by the way Not every prophecy in the Old Testament or the New Testament is a parallel prophecy But many of them are we the Bible is no stranger to this idea of parallel prophecies. It's There's a lot of them but in a parallel prophecy the second part or the parallel part of that prophecy Which goes out from the Prophet has a longer term fulfillment and There are other characteristics of parallel prophecy Let me put these four points down here for you on the screen so you can see them The first characteristic is that the events obviously have similarities. Okay? The Second thing that is is noted about the characteristic of parallel prophecy is that there is a partial fulfillment in the short-term Now the reason we know that we're dealing with parallel prophecies is that the short-term fulfillment fulfills some of the prophecy but not all of it and there are other things that Were not fulfilled in the initial Prophecy that Jesus gave Concerning the destruction of the temple because in this particular case the long-term Prophecy is the Great Tribulation Okay, and that's a very very important thing to understand the short-term fulfillment of what we just read here in Matthew 24 was Past-tense the destruction of the temple in 8070, but the long-term fulfillment is yet to come So this prophecy is yet unfulfilled in part because it will be fulfilled by the Great Tribulation The third point that we put here is that the short-term event often Foreshadows the long-term event in this case the destruction of the temple is a foreshadowing Prefiguring if you will of the longer term event and then finally of course as we already mentioned the fourth point that we put up is that the long-term event is the ultimate fulfillment of The the the prophecy it finds its ultimate fulfillment So in this passage again the short-term event is the destruction of the Jewish temple I want you to see this and the long-term event is the Great Tribulation which occurs after the rapture of the Church The Bride of Christ and it lasts the tribulation lasts for a period of Seven years all right so last week as we started into these verses We started the first section if you look in your Bible there verses like 4 through 14 Are Jesus giving the characteristics of that period of time which we call the last days? and remember people the last days and anything from The book of Acts right to the current day We are in the last days So I told you last week when we read this description of the last days the characteristics of the last days This should be like reading a magazine or a newspaper for you, and I or watching the news This is the stuff. We're going through this is the stuff We experience all the time and every century from the inauguration of the church onward has experienced These things so when Jesus mentions wars and rumors of wars, and he mentions earthquakes and famines and Pestilence and and all that he's not giving signs. He's just saying that's just going to be a characteristic That's a non sign So these are just the characteristics of the age that you and I Live in there is one other condition or characteristic of the age that you and I live in that. I think that is worth Looking at here again look at verse 12 in your Bible This is a condition, and he says and because lawlessness will be increased the love of many will grow cold stop there Jesus is saying here that there will be a progressive increase in Lawlessness throughout this period known as the last days if as it progresses on people would become more lawless as time goes on And because of that the love of many will grow cold their hearts will grow cold toward the Lord This is an interesting sort of a thing that is echoed in fact by the Apostle Paul when he spoke to Timothy About the latter times of the last days look at it's from 2nd Timothy Paul wrote this from prison. He said but understand this That in the last days there will come times of difficulty and he says there will come so he's talking about an increase in the future And he says for people will be look at this description lovers of self They will be lovers of money. They will be proud. They will be arrogant. They will be abusive disobedient to their parents ungrateful unholy heartless Unfeasible meaning you can't reason with them slanderous without Self-control they will be brutal not loving good treacherous Reckless, this is an interesting phrase Swollen with conceit find that fascinating very very picturesque lovers of pleasure Rather than lovers of God now Paul wrote this almost 2,000 years ago This sounds like our world This is the world that you and I live in he says that this will be an increase in these latter days and this Exactly what we see Exactly. In fact, we're seeing these things That are going on in an alarming sort of a way even in the last 50 years These things have all increased Brutality disobedience to parents and and I mean here even in the United States of America But certainly all around the world these things are on the increase so You know again, these are these are signs that you and I this is life. This is life for you and I These aren't signs of the end. They are signs in the end times All right Now as we pick up where we left off which was in verse 23 We find ourselves in right in the middle of a section where Jesus is emphasizing things that are much more Heavily laden toward the Great Tribulation and we'll see that as we kind of go on remember this passage is about the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple and the Great Tribulation Let's try to pinpoint where some of these things are taking place verse 23 look in your Bible once again He says then if anyone says to you look, here's the Christ and or there he is don't believe it during that time Okay He says for false Christ and false prophets will arise and look at this They are going to perform great signs and wonders So as to lead astray if possible, even the elect Jesus says that during this time of the tribulation That there is going to be a demonic rise of power counterfeit power that is going to Issue forth in signs and wonders on the earth. Now. This is during the tribulation you guys I'm trusting You're not going to be there because I believe with all my heart that Jesus is going to return for his church Before the time of the tribulation now There are people who disagree with me on that and we will continue to fellowship even in the midst of that particular disagreement But I believe that the vast preponderance of biblical evidence points to the fact that the church will be Raptured before the time of the tribulation and I think that there are a lot of key elements to that Sometimes people get all weird whacked out because they'll say well the word rapture isn't in the Bible And so you can't you know, you can't use that and it's not a proper biblical doctrine Well, that's ridiculous. First of all, if you happen to you know, if you read old Latin You would find that it is actually in your Latin Bible That word is rep to Ross and and it's it's it's in a passage that we'll look at here in a bit But the Concept is in the Bible as as we're going to see here in a little bit because the word rapture means To be caught up. You could be enraptured in love. You're caught up in love with someone you could say Oh, my heart has just become enraptured in love Well, that's the same concept to be caught up in something in this case We are caught up in the air to meet the Lord, which we'll look at from a passage here in just a little bit I believe that the rapture is going to take place and that is what sets the tribulation in motion Because we are living in that period of time called the church age and the church age must must come to a close in order to begin the period of time referred to as the Great Tribulation the church by the way has not we have not been ordained unto tribulation or or wrath the Bible says that we have not been Accounted or apportioned unto wrath because Jesus already took our wrath Him and so the we are not going to be there for the wrath of God being poured out upon the earth so And then he goes on and this is very important if you look down at verse 29, this is very very important He's going to be give us some timing related to his second coming And people let me let me just for the sake of for the sake of just understanding I'm gonna refer to his second coming as that time when he comes to earth To judge the earth to fight for Israel and so forth the rapture Which happens seven years before the actual second coming is when he comes for the church, but he doesn't actually come to earth We meet him in the air. That's what the Bible says seven years will pass where there will be the Feast of the Lamb When the tribulation period goes on and then after that seven-year tribulation period Jesus will come to earth In fact, we even know exactly where he's coming. He's coming to the Mount of Olives Where he arose from on The day of his ascension, you know, that's a fascinating thing You know the very last time Jesus arose when they saw him no more after that time it says that he arose in their midst and and they were we know that they were on the Mount of Olives that day and As they were straining to get one last glimpse of Jesus The Bible says some angels appeared in their midst at that time and they said men of Israel Why do you stand here gazing up into the heavens this same Jesus who was taken from you will so return in The way you have seen him go and not only will he come back in the clouds like he went in the clouds But he will come to the very same Spot the Old Testament prophets predict Jesus will set his foot on the Mount of Olives Right there in Israel. That's where he will return It is truly fascinating that that mountain is is powerful with biblical Prophetic sorts of stuff. Anyway, look at verse 29 because we got some good timing stuff going on here. It says immediately after the tribulation of those days All right. So remember we're talking about the tribulation period. So what is he saying? after the the horrible time of tribulation What will happen the Sun will be darkened the moon will not give its light the stars will fall from the from heaven and the powers of heaven will be shaken and Then look at what's gonna happen and then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man doesn't tell us what that sign is and then it says all the tribes of the earth will mourn and They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and Great glory and he says it'll be an unmistakable event. So in other words Well, that's why he says earlier if somebody says to you Hey, I know where the Messiah is during the tribulation period because if people will be trying to do that Don't believe him He says because when he when I come it'll be completely unmistakable like lightning flashing from one end of the sky to the other Everybody is gonna know when the Messiah returns during that that end of the tribulation period Absolutely unmistakable verse 31 It says and he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call and they will gather his elect From the four winds from one end of heaven To the other now again verse 31 is not talking about the rapture that took place seven years earlier Now he comes to gather his elect from those who are still saved that got saved during the tribulation Presumably this is when the Old Testament Saints are resurrected and there is a gathering of the elect and so forth that takes place at this time remember that the rapture is before that and Involves meeting the Lord in the air. Let me show you the passage where Jesus or excuse me. Paul speaks of the rapture It's in 1st Thessalonians chapter 4 beginning at verse 14. It says since we believe that Jesus died and rose again Even so through Jesus God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord that we who are alive Who are left he means on the earth until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have previously Fallen asleep and by the way, let me stop there for just long enough to say that fall in a sleep is Paul's euphemism for Christian death but people Do not allow this to let you believe that we enter into a time of soul sleep That's a doctrine that got started And quite a hideous doctrine. I believe it's it's the belief that as Christians when we die we enter into a time of slumber until the Lord comes and we are Awakened and raised from the dead. Please understand something about Resurrection when the Bible talks about resurrection It's talking about your body being resurrected you the essence of who you are is with the Lord upon death The Bible says very clearly that when we are absent from the body, we are present with the Lord Okay You know when Jesus went up onto the Mount of Transfiguration and he spoke there with with Moses and Elijah They were they didn't have to get wakened up. They were they were they were awake. They were Cognizantly aware of current events. They spoke with Jesus about his trip to Jerusalem this that final trip where he would be crucified They were talking about current events. They weren't sleeping. They were aware now their bodies are In a position of what the Bible refers to as slumber their bodies Because when a person dies and you look on that dead person It looks like they're asleep and that was Paul's euphemism for that sort of a thing But please understand the idea or the doctrine of soul sleep is nowhere Supported in the pages of Scripture when we are absent from the body. The soul is present with the Lord and aware and alive Okay, so Resurrection never refers to Anything beyond your body your body is resurrected The essence of who you are it's I know it's hard to think of yourself as separate from your body I understand that that's a pretty freaky sort of an idea But upon death we are separated from our bodies. That's the fact of the matter and the body, you know Decomposes it is planted as if it were a seedling if you will and then it is the body is resurrected And so at that point you would be joined with your body because the essence of who you are is with the Lord in Christ Does that make sense? I hope that makes sense. So he says here I'm gonna I'm backing up here a little bit for the Lord himself. Let's put that back up on the screen I think I didn't finish doing that for the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command with the voice of an archangel and with the sound of the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise first meaning their bodies those who have previously died before their bodies will rise first They will be joined with their new eternal Resurrection body and then we who are alive remaining alive at the time when Christ comes for the church will be okay Here it is you guys caught up. It's where we get our word rapture We will be caught up together with them where in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air So we are raptured to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will always be With the Lord, so if the timing of these things that I've been talking about them here this morning is a little bit weird to you Let me do just yet another kind of illustration that maybe for those of you That are very visual Might might help this kind of is a chart of the end times telling you that this blue section that is on the left That is called the church age. That's where we are right now We are in that time called the church age or the last days, all right at the end of the church age Jesus will return for his church his bride the bride will be caught up as Paul says here in 1st Thessalonians 4 to meet the Lord in the air that will signal the end of the church age and The beginning of the seven-year tribulation period also referred to as the 70th week of Daniel's prophecy you'll remember from the got from the the prophecies of Daniel the Lord came to Daniel and said 77 or 70 blocks of seven years have been decreed for Israel Do you know many we've been through we've been through 69 of them and the 69th seven ended when the church began and and you can actually count that out and so what basically happened was God took his watch and click stopped it when the church age began and The Israel has been on hold for almost 2,000 years The city we ended the 69th week of Daniel or 69th seven-year block of Daniel when the church began But when the church is raised up out of the place it when we are taken up to be with the Lord Click that clock begins again the last final seven year block or if you will the 70th week Eke of Daniel, which we call it, will begin to count down those last seven years, which will be a time called the Great Tribulation. The last half of which is when things really get bad. So that kind of gives you a sense. And then we have at the end of the Tribulation period, the second coming of the Lord when He will come to earth, fight for Israel, because they will almost be destroyed. In fact, it'll look at the end, by the end of the Tribulation, that Israel is done for. Because you'll remember what happens in the Book of Revelation. We're told that Israel, at the half midpoint of the Tribulation, is going to make a covenant with the Antichrist. And they will think that he is the answer to all their problems, and they will make a covenant with him, and he will turn his back on them quickly. And he will subjugate them, and he will set up his image in the temple, demand that they worship him as God. That is the abomination that causes desolation, which we referred to. And that he will begin to persecute them and kill them in large numbers. And other nations will come against Israel. They will amass against Israel in a huge battle. And just when it looks like Israel is about to be obliterated off the map, which is what is wanted today by Muslim nations, and they'll say it right out, our goal is to eliminate Israel. We want to wipe it off the map. They are going to feel, they're going to believe that they finally got their chance. At the conclusion of that Tribulation period, and Jesus will return, and he will fight for Israel, and he will destroy her enemies. And it'll be a powerful time. But Israel will see, they will look upon the one whom they have pierced. It prophesies in Zechariah, and they will mourn first for him because they will realize this is Jesus, the one we crucified. He was our Messiah truly. And they will begin by mourning for him, and then they will come collectively as a nation. There will be a national turning to the Lord. Paul talks about this in Romans of all places. And he says at that time, all Israel will be saved. In that time, at the end of the Tribulation period. After that great battle, we will enter into a time of unprecedented peace upon the earth for a 1,000-year period, which is referred to as the millennial kingdom where Christ himself will reign upon the earth. It'll be an amazing time. There's a whole lot more we could say about that, but in the interest of time, we have to move on. Look at verse 32 in your Bible. It says, from the fig tree, learn its lesson. And this is, you know, had Jesus been talking to people here in Eastern Oregon, Western Idaho, he would have probably used a different example. I don't, I've never seen a fig tree, actually. Don't like figs. Don't really care if I ever see one. But, you know, he, that was a very, you know, common thing in Israel. So he said, you guys know that when a fig tree, when the, you know, the branches get tender and it begins to sprout leaves, you know, summer's right around the corner because a fig tree leafs out at the end of spring. He would say to us something different. You know, when the snow has completely melted off the mountaintops, you know that summer is upon you and so forth. That's one of the signs we've used with our kids over the years. And then he goes on, he says, it's at the gate. Look at verse 34, very important verse. He says, truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. Who's he talking about here? Some people look at this verse and they say, wait a minute, this is wrong. He says, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Well, all these things didn't take place. As we've mentioned many, many times, there are parts of this prophecy that are yet unfulfilled because they refer to the great tribulation. How could he say at that time that this generation will not pass away until these things take place? Because he's referring to the generation that sees these signs happen. He says, because he's just given you all the signs. He's given you all these things that are going to be happening. When you see this happen, when you see this, he says, that generation will not pass away until all these things take place. It's simply a way of Jesus saying, once this gets started, it will conclude rapidly. Well, you and I know how rapidly it will conclude. It'll be seven years. It'll conclude from the time that the church is whisked away. And by the way, that's going to cause a little stir. You can about imagine, can you imagine driving down the highway about 75 miles an hour and then being taken out of the driver's seat? Yeah, I think the person who's sitting in the other seat will probably see a lot of people getting saved right about that moment, you know, very quickly. But, you know, the point is, this is going to cause a huge stir. When these things begin to start happening, that generation will not pass away until they've all happened, until they've in fact concluded, all right? Now he's going to go on and he's going to specifically talk about the signs of his coming, okay? He's given them signs concerning the destruction of the temple. He's talked about signs of his second coming to the earth and all of the cataclysmic judgments that will take place. But now he's going to talk about the sign because they asked him, what's going to be the sign of your coming? His initial coming, he's going to tell them here, has no signs. There are no signs because it could happen at any moment. Read with me here, beginning in verse 36. But concerning that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the sun, but the Father only. In other words, nobody knows when this whole sequence of events is going to get started. But remember, it starts with the rapture of the church. How do we know he's talking about the rapture of the church here? Well, if we're talking about his second coming, when he puts his foot down on the earth, people are going to know when the tribulation begins. They're going to know when the Lord's going to come. Those who look into prophecy, they're going to know. They're going to be able to see the signs and they're going to be able to know. But nobody knows when he's going to come for the church. And no one has ever known. Paul didn't have a clue. In fact, that's why he said, when he talked to the letter to the Thessalonians, he said, we who are still alive at his return. He wondered if he might even still be alive when the Lord returned. He thought it could happen in his lifetime. You might think, why would God do that? Why would God leave people with the impression that he might return in their lifetime? Well, the answer is because he wanted to. He's wanted believers throughout the course of human history to believe that he could come at any time. And the reason he's wanted it that way is because when you and I truly believe that Jesus could come at any time, it changes the way we live. Because if you have an expectation, he used that, remember that weird sort of a parable he said, if the owner of the house would have known at what time of the night the thief was going to arrive, he wouldn't have gone to bed. He'd have stayed up and waited for the creep, right? So he could thwart the whole thing. Now, it's a weird sort of an illustration for you and I, for our Western minds to think of, to use such a negative example of the coming of the Lord. But the point is, if there's an understanding of that he's coming, then you're going to be ready, right? If you literally overheard a thief talking about hitting your house, you'd be ready. Well, guess what? You overheard Jesus saying, I'm coming. But he didn't give you a specific time. He just said, I'm coming, so be ready. So this is the question of the hour for you and I. Are you ready? Are you ready for the coming of Christ? Are you ready for him to come and take up his church? Are you prepared? We all need to ask that question here today. Are we prepared? If he should come this afternoon, are you ready to go? You know, or have you been putting off the decision to make Christ Lord and to accept what he did for you on the cross? Jesus says in verse 37, look with me there, for as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. This is how we know we're talking about the rapture. Look what he says. For as in those days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away. So will be the coming of the Son of Man. When Jesus comes for his church, he says people are going to just be living life every day like, yeah, we're good. They're going to be going to weddings and going to parties. They're going to be setting up businesses. It's going to be life as usual. How do we know he's talking about the rapture of the church and not the second coming when he comes to earth? How do we know that? Well, can you imagine life as usual during the tribulation when there's 100-pound ice boulders falling from the sky, when literally the water is becoming poisoned and a third of the population of the earth dies, and all of these other plagues and bowls of wrath are being poured? You think there's going to be life as usual? You think it's going to be, hey, let's have a wedding? No, this is obviously before the church is taken because everything is just as it ever was. People are just, and it was just like he says, it was just that way in the days of Noah. They didn't know that there was a flood coming on the earth. All they knew is that weird guy Noah has this big boat in his front yard, and they'd probably never seen a boat before, you know, but there it was. And so, you know. He says the coming of the Son of Man will be just like that They're gonna be surprised because life will go on as usual up until that point He says verse 42 men will be in the field one will be taken one left Two women will be grinding on at the mill one will be taken and one left. Here's the point verse 42 You should have this underlined in your Bible there for stay Awake for you don't know You don't know what day your Lord is coming He says in verse 43 and following But know this if the master of the house had known what part of the night the thief was coming remember we talked about this He'd be ready and so forth look at verse 45 So he says who then and I'll ask the question who in this room is The faithful and wise servant whom the master has set over his household to give his people their food at the proper time And he says blessed is that man who is found so doing when the master Returns here's the question you all of us have to ask ourselves What do you want Jesus to find you doing when he comes back? What do you want him to find you doing Because we could be doing just about anything couldn't we and You see that's what changes our lives By believing that Jesus could come at any time because I'm constantly thinking what do I want him to find me doing? So it makes me think twice about Life and How I'm approached how I'm approaching life how I'm responding to life and so forth Jesus could come in the middle of this thing What do I want him to find me doing? What do I want him to find me in the middle of and so forth? He ends the whole chapter here for you and I In verse 48 and following by saying that there will be and if there is a wicked servant who says to himself, you know There's been taking a long time I think this is probably gonna go on a lot longer and he begins to just get lazy and he decides to start living for himself and he is hardened by the deceitfulness of sin and he returns to the old lifestyle that he once had and He loses sight of the whole idea of Jesus returning and he just lives this life of total unbelief and disobedience Jesus said it's not going to be good for that person At all when the master returns and finds him in the middle of Beating the servants and living that life of debauchery and opulence and so forth There's no way that we can live a life of sin and be ready for his coming there's no way we can't live like the world And be living according to the word at the same time and be ready for his coming. So are you ready? Jesus is coming Jesus is coming. Do you guys know, you know, we we love to talk about Jesus coming as a baby Well, you know that was prophesied right that was given in the Bible do you told us where he was going to be born in Bethlehem told us all kinds of things about his birth and We celebrated every Christmas, you know, there are more prophecies about his second coming more than his first and Every single one of those prophecies about his first coming was fulfilled to the letter You think there's gonna be a problem with the second one? I don't think so He's coming you guys The only question the question isn't whether he's coming. The question is are we ready? And that's something that I can't answer for you And you can't answer for me that we all have to answer for ourselves before the Lord Lord am I ready to meet you? Well, it begins by simply saying Jesus. I accept what you did for me on the cross You died for me you died for my sins I believe that what you did on the cross for me was for my forgiveness and I accept it I embrace it and I want to just be open to live for you all my life You