The signs and what they... point to for the end of this world leading up to Christ's return.
Matt 24:1-51
1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and His disciples came to Him for to shew Him the buildings of the temple.
2 And Jesus said unto them, "See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down."
That was at Christ's first coming, before His crucifixion, when Jesus and His disciples went out to the Mount of Olives. The Mount of Olives is to the east, overlooking the Temple Mount area in Jerusalem. His disciples marveled at the temple building complex of great stones. Then Jesus proclaimed a day would come that not even one of those stones there would standing on top of another.
Many think that was fulfilled in 69 A.D. when the pagan Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the temple burned down, but the Western Wall of that complex of stones was left standing, and still stands today in Jerusalem. It's called the Wailing Wall today by the Jews. The next verse links to the time when this event was actually meant for, when the not one stone upon another will be fulfilled in toto.
3 And as He sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of Thy coming, and of the end of the world?"
Christ's disciples ask Him specifically just when that event is going to be, along with the sign of His future second coming, and... the end of this present world (i.e., today's world we're still in now). That reveals His disciples understood what time literally no stone would be standing there, including today's Wailing Wall. It would occur with the sign of Christ's second coming and the end of this present world.
4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, "Take heed that no man deceive you.
5 For many shall come in My name, saying, "I am Christ"; and shall deceive many.
The 6 seals of Revelation 6 follow these signs especially close. The 1st seal is about a rider upon a white horse, and we know it's not Jesus, because we well know our Lord Jesus does not return on the very first sign. That 1st seal rider is about a fake, coming to deceive. And thus Christ's first sign of warning to not be deceived.
Many would come in His name saying they are Christ, and deceive the foolish. We've already had that happen many times in history already, with those proclaiming to be Christ. It's about the idea of many; i.e., many fake Christs.
6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
Our Lord Jesus said there to not let wars and rumours of wars trouble us. That's the exact opposite idea of what the Sensationalists are pushing isn't it? Wars must come to pass as He said, and that's not the real time of trouble. The opposite time of wars is a time of PEACE, a time when all nations have joined together under the final Antichrist who comes first to try and take Christ's place. Apostle Paul even warned us in 1 Thess.5 about that time when the deceived will be saying, "Peace and safety".
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Those signs are linked to the 3rd and 4th seals of Rev.6. Indeed there shall be famines, but The LORD said in Amos 8 a time would come when He would send a famine for hearing The Word of God, many looking for It and not finding it, i.e., a spiritual famine being without His Truth. The 3rd seal black horse is about balances, and the expression of a full day's wages to buy a loaf of bread, so it is about physical famine also and the balances of commerce (i.e., failed financial system). The 4th seal covers the idea of Satan's power over the earth, conquering in four parts to kill using hunger (famine), with death, with the sword, and with beasts. That four-part takeover of the earth is about the four stages of the locust army of the Book of Joel, and the four horns of Zechariah 1. Ex U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater once declared every event happening on the earth can be assigned to 4 main categories: educational, the political, the financial, and the religious.
1. educational = killing by a sword of lies, i.e., Satan's sword out of his mouth in contrast to Christ's two-edged sword out of His mouth
2. political = with beasts, not literal animals, but the "natural brute beasts" idea from 2 Peter 2 and Jude when they spoke of corrupt men.
3. financial = with hunger; i.e., the idea of famine, both the balances of commerce and spiritual famine per Amos 8.
4. religious = with death; i.e., SPIRITUAL death, death of one's soul, which is what Satan really wants to destroy, which is why the second beast of Rev.13 is about a religious beast.
9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake.
10 And then shall many be offended, and shall 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 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.
All that is related to the 5th seal of Rev.6, a time when souls under the altar asked God how long until the end, and they were told to wait a little while until their brethren on earth are likewise beheaded for giving a Testimony for Christ as they did. In the Mark 13 version of this, Christ tells His elect to not premediatate what they will say when delivered up to councils and synagogues to give that Testimony for Him, but to speak what The Holy Spirit gives to say in that hour. In that time, even those of one's own household will be one's enemies per Matt.10.
15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
16 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:
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:
21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
That's a portiion of the 6th seal time, but is especially the 6th trumpet and 6th vial timing. That's when the coming false messiah is to arrive on the scene doing the great miracles and wonders of Rev.13:11 forward, and 2 Thess.2. That's what that "abomination of desolation" is about, a false messiah in the temple in JERUSALEM proclaiming himself as God, and demanding all to bow to him as God. That is what this time of "great tribulation" will be about. Will that be a time of war and rumours of war? No, but just the opposite, the time of "Peace and safety" which Apostle Paul warned of. World peace and a chicken in every pot for those who bow to that coming false Christ, but for us who stand in Christ Jesus we may expect persecution, even by those of our own household that are deceived by that fake Christ.
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.
Our Lord Jesus is showing us just how deceptively dangerous that 6th seal, 6th trumpet, 6th vial timing will be, with the "abomination of desolation" idol to false messiah setup in a rebuilt temple in Jerusalem. For His elect's sake, those days will be shortened. Now did that say for His elect's sake He's going to 'rapture' them out of that? No! Lie to yourself in thinking you'll be raptured prior to that, but you won't be able to lie to our Lord Jesus Who well forewarned us we will go through that testing by a fake Christ.
23 Then if any man shall say unto you, "Lo, here is Christ, or there"; believe it not.
There, our Lord Jesus made His warning about that false one more plain. If ANYONE comes up to you saying Christ is here, or there, like He has returned, Jesus said do not believe it! Our Lord Jesus is going to repeat... this warning a little further down again.
24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
The phrase "false Christs" is the Greek word 'pseudochristos', from pseudo and Christ. The Greek word 'christos' is singular and means Christ. This is about a singular pseudo-Christ, a fake Jesus. But not a fake like some ordinary man who only says they are Christ with no power to do lying signs and wonders. This fake Jesus is going to have... miraculous power on the earth to work great miracles and wonders, even in the sight of men (Rev.13:11 forward). We're shown just how powerful his false working of signs is going to be with that idea that it would ALMOST deceive Christ's elect servants, IF it were possible. If that miracle working is going to be that deceptive in strength, and almost... deceive Christ's own elect that He has already sealed in His Truth, then imagine what it's going to do to those who listen to men's doctrines instead of our Lord in His Word?
(If you've got doubts, thinking you might be deceived by that false working, then there's an easy way to correct and remove that doubt. Get into God's Word for yourself, and quit just relying on what men's traditions tell you to believe. Check your teachers out in God's Word for youself, asking The LORD directly... for understanding. Don't fall for all the pop Sensationalism traps.)
25 Behold, I have told you before.
26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, "Behold, he is in the desert"; go not forth: "behold, he is in the secret chambers"; believe it not.
There's our Lord Jesus Christ repeating His warning about the coming pseudo-Christ. When the deceived come up to you and say Christ is here, that's He's returned, that He's in the desert or in the secret chambers, don't you believe it! Why? Because the one they will be proclaiming will be a fake! That ain't going to be no pope either.
27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
How will people know when the pseudo-Christ arrives? Per the previous verses the deceived will be proclaiming... the fake who comes first. So that pseudo-Christ doesn't arrive just like our Lord Jesus will like lightning shining from the east to west? Nope. EVERYONE will see Christ's second coming in the clouds with Glory, even those who pierced Him (Rev.1:7). There won't be any mistaking the True Christ when He comes! Even Christ's enemies will recognize Him! That's why our Lord Jesus gave this lightning idea, to show the difference between His unmistakeable return, and how the fake Jesus enters in with the deceived who proclaim him only.
28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
At the end of Luke 17, where our Lord Jesus mentioned two will be in one bed, one taken and the other left, His disciples then asked Him just where... those would be taken. Jesus then gave this same answer to them. It reveals the first one taken is into deception by the pseudo-Christ and his host. Eagles do not go after what is already dead, like that "carcase" idea. Eagles kill their prey. Vultures go after what is already dead. It's a deep OT metaphor, as the eagle as a symbol was used for both our Heavenly Father and Satan's host. The difference is... one is fake, the other is not. The devil is a false 'rock'; our Heavenly Father is The True ROCK (Deut.32:31).
Thus the symbolic meaning is that wherever the fake eagles (Satan and his host) are gathered, that's... where the dead carcase (spiritually deceived) will be gathered together. The deceived will indeed flock to that pseudo-Christ, wrongly thinking he is God having come. In that parable of two in the field, one taken and the other left, the "field" is the world. And the first one taken will be as a dead carcase, put for one in deception to the fake. That's the actual meaning of that parable of two men in field our Lord Jesus gave (Luke 17). The rapture folks are being lied to about it. And that's 6th seal, 6th trumpet, 6th vial timing.
29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
There's the rest of the 6th seal. It's also the 7th trumpet, and also the 7th vial being poured out. For we know our Lord Jesus returns "as a thief" ON... "the day of The Lord". The heavens being shaken, the earth trembling with a great earthquake, and God's consuming fire burning the elements (man's order) off this earth, and Christ appearing in the clouds with His great army to defeat His enemies at Armageddon is all part of that "day of The Lord" event. It will occur very, very quickly. THAT's the time of the 'shout' of the trumpet and His voice, and our gathering to Him.
31 And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
That's our gathering to occur with that "day of The Lord" event at the sound of the 7th trumpet. That's when the 7th vial is poured out... where? On the earth upon the wicked? Nope. It's poured out into "the air"! So what's that? That's about the 'change' on the last trump Apostle Paul taught, "at a twinkling of an eye" all on earth being changed to the "spiritual body" (1 Cor.15). That event will officially end this present world we have known, and usher all into Christ's thousand years reign with His elect (Rev.20). That's the time when the "vail" of Isaiah 25 will be removed, i.e., the vail that is hiding the Heavenly from our eyes today. That's how every... eye shall SEE Christ when He comes, for we all will be in our breath of life type heavenly image bodies. Thus that vial is poured out into the 'air', and not upon the earth.
32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:
33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.
Just as a fig tree, when its leafs begin to shoot forth, you know summer is just around the corner. Likewise, when you 'see' ALL these signs, know that "day of The Lord" event with Christ's coming "as a thief" is just about to happen. That puts all... of these signs of Matt.24 for the very last generation living upon this earth, the time when Christ returns literally.
34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Which generation? The generation of Christ's Apostles? Nope, for that generation is already past history. It's about the final generation of this present world, the generation that will experience... Christ's future return! We today are still waiting for His second coming.
35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away.
36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only.
That goes with the time given in the previous verses. We do not know the specific day or hour, but our Lord Jesus and His Apostles did... give us the season of His future return, AND... the signs to be watching for it!
The following verses are often mis-taught by the Pre-trib Rapture folks to mean Christ coming prior... to the tribulation to gather His saints. It ain't gonna' happen that way; we just read back at Matt.24:29-31 that our Lord Jesus Christ will return AFTER the tribulation. And that's the subject of these following verses; it's about not being deceived by the pseudo-Christ, not seeking to be raptured away, but being prepared to make a stand for Christ Jesus, STAYING in the 'field' doing His Word, and being FOUND a faithful servant by Him working when He does come...
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,
39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
Which ones are 'taken' there? Not Noah and his family, for they stayed... inside the ark of God's protection. It's the deceived that are the ones taken.
40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Do what? Watch so you can be the first one 'taken'? NO! Watch so you WON'T be the first one taken, that's the real idea! One is gathered early like untimely figs, while the other is STILL found working... that's the idea! We want to be still working for Christ when He appears, and not like a dead "carcase" gathered among vultures ("eagles").
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
There it is. If the goodman of the house stays up watching, knowing in what hour of watch the thief comes, he won't allow his house to be broken up. Falling to deception to the pseudo-Christ who comes first would mean what for this goodman? It would mean the goodman didn't watch, and his house became broken up. So be ready, watching for the fake Jesus that comes first, and you'll be ready when our True Lord Jesus does come to destroy that fake one. It's that simple.
45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
That's who our Lord Jesus will be pleased with when He comes "as a thief". It's those of Christ's servants He finds still... working in the field when He returns. But those of His that fall away to the pseudo-Christ instead, He is not going to be happy with (i.e., the five foolish virgins of Matt.25).
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
(KJV)
There's the opposite, the one in the field that is taken, which is about being taken in deception to the pseudo-Christ. Also, those who don't care to watch and be on guard against the fake Jesus will not... know this difference. They will tend to their 'things' of this world thinking Jesus is going to rapture them out, that they don't have to prepare themselves to stand against the fake one who comes first.
