Understanding the End Time Parables of Jesus Christ in Matthew 24 and 25 - Great Tribulation, Second Coming, Millennium, and Great White Throne JudgmentThese revelations were orignally shared in my Patreon Bible Study Whatsapp Chat Group. Join us for chapter-by-chapter daily Bible Study when you become a "God Every Morning" tier patron and above and partner with our ministry! Matthew 24: “Jesus went out from the temple, and was going on his way. His disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple. But he answered them, “You see all of these things, don’t you? Most certainly I tell you, there will not be left here one stone on another, that will not be thrown down.”” (Matthew 24:1-2 WEB) Jesus’ words were fulfilled in AD 70 when the Roman armies destroyed the temple. “As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? What is the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?”” (Matthew 24:3 WEB) The disciples asked Jesus three different questions:
“Jesus answered them, “Be careful that no one leads you astray. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will lead many astray. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you aren’t troubled, for all this must happen, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there will be famines, plagues, and earthquakes in various places. But all these things are the beginning of birth pains.” (Matthew 24:4-8 WEB) The above are the signs of the end times, before the Great Tribulation — The marking point that shows this is “these things are the beginning of birth pains”. Everything stated in the passage above have been happening already. There have been more earthquakes in recent decades than in all previous decades put together. We are already in the end times. This tells us that the Rapture is very near, right around the corner. ““Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake. And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (Matthew 24:9-14 NKJV) The above is talking about the Great Tribulation. The Tribulation will be a time of great global hatred towards the Jews. The Antichrist will likely blame all the bad things happening around the world on the Jews. “But he who endures to the end will be saved”: During the Great Tribulation, only those who believe in Jesus and don’t accept the Mark of the Beast will be saved at the end of the Great Tribulation when Jesus returns at His Second Coming (Revelation 14:11). The Gospel will only finally be preached in all the world during the Great Tribulation. ““When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take out the things that are in his house. Let him who is in the field not return back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days! Pray that your flight will not be in the winter, nor on a Sabbath, for then there will be great oppression, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be. Unless those days had been shortened, no flesh would have been saved. But for the sake of the chosen ones, those days will be shortened.” (Matthew 24:15-22 WEB) The abomination of desolation will be something blasphemous set up at the site of God’s temple in Jerusalem during the Great Tribulation — most probably the image of the Antichrist/Beast (Revelation 13:15). At that time, the Jews in Judea are to flee to the mountains to escape the Antichrist’s persecution. The Great Tribulation is shortened thanks to God’s mercy upon those who will believe in Jesus during the Tribulation. They won’t have the Holy Spirit indwelling them at that time — the Holy Spirit will not be on earth (2 Thessalonians 2:6-7). No one (without the empowerment of the Holy Spirit) could ever endure that much suffering and not accept the Mark of the Beast — man is not limitlessly faithful, but God is very merciful towards His people. ““Then if any man tells you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or, ‘There,’ don’t believe it. For there will arise false christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the chosen ones. “Behold, I have told you beforehand. If therefore they tell you, ‘Behold, he is in the wilderness,’ don’t go out; ‘Behold, he is in the inner rooms,’ don’t believe it. For as the lightning flashes from the east, and is seen even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.” (Matthew 24:23-27 WEB) During the Great Tribulation, the main false Christ will be the Antichrist and the main false prophet will be the False Prophet (Revelation 13). The signs and wonders that they will do are false ones, done by deception (possibly using advanced human technology to produce convincing illusions and man-made natural phenomenon). The Second Coming of Christ will not be an obscure, secretive event like the Rapture. Everyone on earth at that time will know it because of the glorious way it will happen. “For wherever the carcass is, there is where the vultures gather together.” (Matthew 24:28 WEB) The battlefield near Jerusalem where Jesus will slay the Antichrist and his wicked armies is where the vultures will gather to. The birds will feast on their corpses (Revelation 19:11-21). ““Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then 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 will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” (Matthew 24:29-31 NKJV) The passage above describes the “Day of the Lord” (the Second Coming of Jesus Christ). The “sign of the Son of the Man” could be the shape of the cross appearing in the sky. Everyone will immediately be convicted in their hearts that the Gospel is the truth all along. Jesus will send His angels to gather the elect (the future mortal believers during the Great Tribulations, not us) to bring them to Jerusalem to rule with Him in the Millennium. Jesus won’t expect them to slowly board planes in batches to get to Jerusalem — the angels will carry them there. ““Now from the fig tree learn this parable. When its branch has now become tender, and produces its leaves, you know that the summer is near. Even so you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Most certainly I tell you, this generation will not pass away, until all these things are accomplished. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away. But no one knows of that day and hour, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” (Matthew 24:32-36 WEB) Jesus’ words in the passage above is directed at the Tribulation believers. All these signs will be fulfilled in their generation because the Tribulation only lasts for 7 years. This Heaven and earth will pass away because God will make new heavens and a new earth. Jesus’ words are true and entirely reliable. Only our Heavenly Father knows the exact day and hour of the Second Coming of Christ. If anyone else claims that they know it, they are lying. ““As the days of Noah were, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ship, and they didn’t know until the flood came, and took them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one will be left; two women grinding at the mill, one will be taken and one will be left. Watch therefore, for you don’t know in what hour your Lord comes. But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what watch of the night the thief was coming, he would have watched, and would not have allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore also be ready, for in an hour that you don’t expect, the Son of Man will come.” (Matthew 24:37-44 WEB) The passage above is still talking about the Second Coming of Christ, not about the Rapture. The flood during the days of Noah is a picture of God’s judgment and not of God’s deliverance. The sinners (unbelievers) in Jerusalem will be taken by the angels to the battlefield to be slaughtered with the sword that proceeds from Jesus’ mouth — He is returning as an Avenger to slay the wicked — a majestic Lion, not just a meek lamb. The Second Coming will happen suddenly and unexpectedly. ““Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has set over his household, to give them their food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his lord finds doing so when he comes. Most certainly I tell you that he will set him over all that he has. But if that evil servant should say in his heart, ‘My lord is delaying his coming,’ and begins to beat his fellow servants, and eat and drink with the drunkards, the lord of that servant will come in a day when he doesn’t expect it, and in an hour when he doesn’t know it, and will cut him in pieces, and appoint his portion with the hypocrites. There is where the weeping and grinding of teeth will be.” (Matthew 24:45-51 WEB) How come the passage above seems to suggest that a believer can lose his salvation? This is because it’s talking about the context of the Great Tribulation. At that time salvation is not “once saved always saved” because the Holy Spirit will not be indwelling believers on earth as a guarantee/deposit of a believer’s salvation. When the Rapture happens before the Great Tribulation, the Holy Spirit will be taken up to heaven together with the church. The Holy Spirit is the One on earth Who is restraining the Great Tribulation from happening right now. God will set leaders over His Tribulation believers to feed them spiritual food by preaching the Gospel to them. However if they lose faith, accept the Mark of the Beast and become abusers of the believers instead, then they will not be saved — they will be cast into the lake of fire.
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January 2024
AuthorHi I’m Milton Goh, I'm 31 years old and i'm a blogger who writes about Christianity, Parenting, Life Lessons that I learn from Movies/Shows, and Lifestyle. |