Gospels (53) - Matthew 24:15 – 35

Teacher: Rusty Kennedy
​Series: Gospels

Rusty's Notes

Clarification from last week:

• Hebrew Christians – fled to Pella according to Eusebius and another group fled to Masada
• At Masada 960 killed themselves rather than being taken siege by the Romans in 73 AD.
• 2 women and 5 children survived according to Josephus.
• The disciples asked Jesus 3 questions:

Matthew 24
3 While he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples (Mark 13:4 - Peter, James, John, and Andrew asked him privately) approached him privately and said, “1) Tell us, when will these things happen? (66 AD) 2) And what is the sign of your coming (Shekinah Glory) and 3) of the end of the age?” (world wars)

• Jesus answered 3) first and 1) second… (last week)
• 2) “What is the sign of your coming?”

 
Scholars of prophecy do not agree on all the details of future events. But the following summary is a fair representation of what many prophetic scholars believe as to the order of events:
1. The Rapture of the church (1 Cor. 15:51–58; 1 Thes. 4:13–18). This can occur at any time.
2. The leader of the ten European nations makes a seven-year agreement with Israel (Dan. 9:26–27).
3. After three-and-one-half years, he breaks the agreement (Dan. 9:27).
4. He moves to Jerusalem and sets up his image in the temple (2 Thes. 2:3–4; Rev. 13).
5. The Antichrist begins to control the world and forces all people to worship and obey him. At this time God sends great tribulation upon the earth (Matt. 24:21).
6. The nations gather at Armageddon to fight the Antichrist and Israel, but see the sign of Christ’s coming and unite to fight Him (Zech. 12; Rev. 13:13–14; 19:11ff).
7. Jesus returns to the earth, defeats His enemies, is received by the Jews, and establishes His kingdom on earth (Rev. 19:11ff; Zech. 12:7–13:1). He will reign on earth for 1,000 years (Rev. 20:1–5).[1]
 
Matthew 24
THE GREAT TRIBULATION
15 “So when you see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place”, (let the reader understand)

• Daniel 12:11 - 11 From the time the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination of desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. – 3.5 years[2])
• 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4 - 3 Don’t let anyone deceive you in any way. For that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. 4 He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he sits in God’s temple, proclaiming that he himself is God. [3]

16 “then those in Judea must flee to the mountains. 17 A man on the housetop must not come down to get things out of his house, 18 and a man in the field must not go back to get his coat. 19 Woe to pregnant women and nursing mothers in those days! 20 Pray that your escape may not be in winter or on a Sabbath. 21 For at that time there will be great distress, the kind that hasn’t taken place from the beginning of the world until now and never will again. 22 Unless those days were cut short, no one would be saved. But those days will be cut short because of the elect.
23 “If anyone tells you then, ‘See, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Over here!’ do not believe it. 24 For false messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. 25 Take note: I have told you in advance. 26 So if they tell you, ‘See, he’s in the wilderness!’ don’t go out; or, ‘See, he’s in the storerooms!’ do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will gather.
 
THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN
29 “Immediately after the distress of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not shed its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky (Shekinah Glory), and then all the peoples of the earth will mourn; and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 31 He will send out his angels with a loud trumpet, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
Unconditional Covenants (4)

• Abrahamic Covenant – Genesis 12

– Genesis 15 - Land promised to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob & Descendants (Euphrates River to River of Egypt) – Have yet to possess it.

• Palestinian Covenant - Deuteronomy 30 –
• 1 “When all these things happen to you—the blessings and curses I have set before you—and you come to your senses while you are in all the nations where the Lord your God has driven you, 2 and you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and all your soul by doing everything I am commanding you today, 3 then he will restore your fortunes, have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the peoples where the Lord your God has scattered you. 4 Even if your exiles are at the farthest horizon, he will gather you and bring you back from there. 5 The Lord your God will bring you into the land your fathers possessed, and you will take possession of it. He will cause you to prosper and multiply you more than he did your fathers. 6 The Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the hearts of your descendants, and you will love him with all your heart and all your soul so that you will live.[4]
• Davidic Covenant – 2 Samuel 7 – Eternal Kingdom – Messiah will be Son of David
• New Covenant -  Jeremiah 31:31-34 – 31 “Look, the days are coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. 32 This one will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors on the day I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt—my covenant that they broke even though I am their master”—the Lord’s declaration. 33 “Instead, this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days”—the Lord’s declaration. “I will put my teaching within them and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will one teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they will all know me, from the least to the greatest of them”—this is the Lord’s declaration. “For I will forgive their iniquity and never again remember their sin. [5]

THE PARABLE OF THE FIG TREE
32 “Learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near. 33 In the same way, when you see all these things, recognize that he is near—at the door. 34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

• The fig tree in the Bible is often a picture of Israel (Hosea 9:10; Luke 13:6–10); and the other trees would picture the nations of the world.
• The budding of the trees indicates that summer is near.
• The beginning of these signs indicates that the Lord’s coming is near.
• The generation alive on earth at that time will see these events take place.
• Our generation sees a foreshadowing of these signs. We do not look for signs as such; we look for the Savior (Phil. 3:20).

Jesus can come for His church at any time.[6]

[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 89). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[2] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Da 12:11). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[3] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (2 Th 2:3–4). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[4] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Dt 30:1–6). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[5] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Je 31:31–34). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[6] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, pp. 89–90). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.