Mathew 24 is called the “Olivet Discourse.” Jesus is with his disciples on the Mount of Olives outside of Jerusalem. In a few days, he will be dead. Chapter 24 is Jesus’ “end time” and “time of the end” prophesy. It may seem trivial, but Mathew 24 is much more than discourse. Scholars can name things whatever they like, but Mathew 24 is “Jesus’ End Time Prophesy.” “Olivet Discourse” is a passive title imposed by ELB on a critical message.
Jesus’ prophesy is also where the Great Tribulation comes from, which believers want to close their eyes to in fear. That is an excellent achievement of ELB. The Great Tribulation is also a subject I believe scholars have gotten wrong for a long time. Jesus had just told the disciples all the buildings of the temple would be completely destroyed.
Mathew 24:1-3, “Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
These are the same questions we have. When is Jesus coming, and will we know beforehand? We also have a third question, will it hurt? Jesus knows that none of the disciples will experience the final end, but at least John will see the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Jesus also knows John will get a better look at the end about twenty-five years after 70 AD.
Jesus does not tell them the 70 AD date, nor does John ever write about it. I take that Jesus not telling them the date of 70 AD is because it is not that meaningful. I can’t believe that Daniel’s prophecies were all fulfilled by 70 AD, yet John never mentioned the date. The Revelation would make no sense if John wrote it after everything was over.
But the point of the prophecy is that we are to know, not just trust, but know, that our Abba Father will bring us into eternity with him at the end of our time if we have a relationship with him. I know “believe” is the translation of what it takes to escape the fiery pit, but you will learn that “love and obey,” not just acknowledging a truth, defines our redemption. English translations leave many people hearing Mathew 7:23, “And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me.”
A Lesser Tribulation
Mathew 24:4-8 paints a dreary picture of the world’s future: “And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”
Jesus says “you” three times, referring directly to the disciples. The trouble starts in their time with false prophets. Then after the disciples, a period called the “beginning of sorrows” is declared, which sounds like the period we live in now.
Mathew 24:9-15, “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.“
Jesus again references the disciple’s period when they were tortured and killed. Then he references what looks like more of our time, the “beginning of sorrows,” and then a reference to the end. Jesus then declares the Gospel is preached throughout the world the entire time, and after that, Jesus will return. (The Wycliffe organization that delivers and tracks the Gospel to all nations predicts being finished by 2025.) He cannot mean “right after,” or we would know when.
Jesus’ prophesy is also in Luke 21. Look at v21:12-19, “But before all these things, they will lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons. You will be brought before kings and rulers for My name’s sake. But it will turn out for you as an occasion for testimony.” That passage clearly refers to the disciples.
“Therefore settle it in your hearts not to pray beforehand on what you will answer; for I will give you a mouth and wisdom which all your adversaries will not be able to contradict or resist. You will be betrayed even by parents and brothers, relatives and friends; and they will put some of you to death. And you will be hated by all for My name’s sake. But not a hair of your head shall be lost. By your patience possess your souls.“
Mathew says, “But he who endures to the end shall be saved.” Luke says, “But not a hair of your head shall be lost. By your patience possess your souls.” That has to be a reference to our redemption and a new body.
Traditional scholars who believe that the last seven years of Daniel’s Vision 490 happen at the end-time want these verses in Mathew to be the first 3½ years of a “lesser tribulation” in the end-time.
I cannot get my head around that in the context of Daniel, and his prophesy about the Holy Roman Empire. I also can’t picture a world today or in the future that murders believers at will and still bother with “a mark of the beast.” The mark challenges our faith and drives us away from it in a direct challenge to our Abba Father. That is the end. The Roman Empire stooped killing Christians when Constantine became Emperor and no nation has slaughtered Christians in any apocalyptic sense since. There are issues in the Middle east but nothing apocalyptic.
Mathew 24:15-20, “Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place” (whoever reads, let him understand), “then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not go back to get his clothes. But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! And pray that your flight may not be in winter or on the Sabbath.“
Daniel’s ‘abomination of desolation,’ starts with the Roman Empire. Notice those called to flee, those in Judea, the Jews. That cannot be the end time; it must be in the disciple’s time. What did the believing Jews do after the Orthodox Jews killed Stephen? They fled to the hills, just as the end of Daniel’s Vision 490 prophesy revealed. Acts 8:1, “At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.” Too many see this as the end, but it only refers to the Jews, and there is nowhere to flee in the end. Luke says, “delivering you up to the synagogues,” describing a period when Jews still had some authority. We have yet to see anything significant from Jesus about the end itself.
Great Tribulation
Mathew 24:21-22, “For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.” We have now jumped to the end time.
Let’s look at tribulation in Revelation 1:9, “I, John, both your brother and companion in the tribulation and kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was on the island that is called Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Tribulation” is struggle, persecution, anguish, or affliction in life. John is living in the tribulation of the Roman Empire. The persecution of Emperor Domitian in John’s latter days looked pretty bad, but John handled it all with his faith.
Mathew 24:21, “For then,” has to be a significant leap forward because Christians survived every other tribulation. The great tribulation becomes not only worse but unbearable if not stopped. Three and a half years is a very long time to endure tribulation that bad.
Mathew 24:23-28, “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. “Therefore if they say to you, ‘Look, He is in the desert!’ do not go out; or ‘Look, He is in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together.“
The end time is man’s inhumanity to man. Those who surrender to the persecutors are not tormented. I see the enemy with false prophets trying to flesh out believers by pretending to be Christ, so beware. As the next verse reveals, Jesus coming out of the clouds will be hard to copy.
Mathew 24:29, “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.” That is not the end with the new Jerusalem. Jesus is making his entrance “coming with authority.”
It is Personal
To build our faith, it is helpful in the context of Jesus prophecy to look at the letters to the seven churches in the Revelation. Four churches are on the way to the fiery pit but Jesus is still ministering to them right up to the end. Too many in today’s churches are very quick to condemn sinners and turn away from them. Our job is to bring the word, never condemn.
I have a few cases who are at present, total disasters. Until our Abba Father rewires their brains a bit, there isn’t much anyone can do. There is an old saying, “no one is totally useless, they can always serve as a bad example” and that is where we are.
But like our Abba Father, I pray and take their calls for help from the gutter because maybe this is the time. A major faith weakener is the attitude that any given moment is the only moment we have to see the Holy Spirit do his work when we do not have a clue what their divine plan is. The Holy Spirit tells me often to stop trying to out-work him, our case is in the book for more tribulation. Please pray on that.
Revelation 2:5 to the loveless church in Ephesus, “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” The loveless church is told to repent or else Jesus will remove himself. The corrupt, dead and compromising churches all have Jesus trying to save a portion of the church.
Revelation 2:10 to the persecuted church in Smyrna, “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer (Please pray on that). Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days (ten prophetic years?). Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.”
Jesus just dismisses the persecution. As someone who had the skin whipped off his back, a crown of thorns pulled down his head, was nailed to a cross, and had a spear thrust into his side, he is not too empathetic to tribulation. That letter seems very personal to a persecuted congregation and the deaths are natural or persecuted. The ten days or ten prophetic years reference make this letter sound like it is describing a period well before the end. Try to gauge the faith required in that church.
Revelation 2:14-16 to the compromising church in Pergamos, “because you have there those who hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols, and to commit sexual immorality. Thus you also have those who hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent, or else I will come to you quickly and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth.”
Jesus threatened to just walk away from the loveless church. Compromising means to hold onto a portion of the doctrine. That congregation is to repent the compromises or Jesus will come and sort the savable. This is where it starts to get personal for each member and what they believe.
Revelation 2:20-23 to the corrupt church in Thyatira, “Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. And I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent. Indeed I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds.”
What is the difference with the corrupt church? Adultery against our Groom, Jesus Christ. The compromising church did the same sex and idol acts, do not get distracted by the forgivable acts. The corrupt church is thrust into great tribulation for rejecting Jesus. If we don’t hang tough with Jesus, the enemy gives us great tribulation. Repenting gains us Jesus, our Groom, who will save us.
Jezebel’s heart is hardened, it is over for her, “I will kill her children with death, and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts.” Please pray on “He who searches the minds and hearts.” That is as personal as it gets.
Revelation 3:3 to the spiritually dead church in Sardis, “Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.” In this church we see a personal reaction to its members. Even in an apparent dead church, “He who searches the minds and hearts” will check each member.
Revelation 3:10, the letter to the faithful church in Philadelphia, “Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.” This appears that the truly faithful will be spared the “hour of trial.” An hour of trial sounds like a short period.
Revelation 3:19-21, to the lukewarm church in Laodicean, “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.” Again we see a personal response to the individual members.
Revelation 7: 14-15, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.” Who is this passage talking about?
Revelation 7:9-10, “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
Remember, I am looking for inspiration, not information. I see the Great Tribulation as the “frog in a sauce pan coming to a slow boil.” By the time he figures it out, it is too late. The Great Tribulation is not a magical event to me, it is life as we know it getting more and more difficult over time as the enemy continues to succeed in the world.
Our Great Tribulation is today, for our children, tomorrow. If we live our lives in relationship with our Abba Father as citizens in Heaven, we are already part way there, set apart, holy, redeemed and loved, and you will have what the first title says, a life others will see and want.
1 Thessalonians 5 supports this, v5:1-5 are presented here but go read the whole chapter.
“But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day.”
1 Thessalonians 5:5-9 “We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk are drunk at night. But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with Him.”
Let’s look at few more voices. Jeremiah 30:5-7, “For thus says the LORD: ‘We have heard a voice of trembling, Of fear, and not of peace. Ask now, and see, Whether a man is ever in labor with child? So why do I see every man with his hands on his loins Like a woman in labor, And all faces turned pale? Alas! For that day is great, So that none is like it; And it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, But he shall be saved out of it.”
Psalm 91 is about the end for sure, but I have issues with its full application to our daily life as often taught. Psalm 91:1-8 is a sample, you can read it all, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.’ Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday. A thousand may fall at your side, And ten thousand at your right hand; But it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, And see the reward of the wicked.”
That is our Abba Father saving us from the seven bowls in the end. What is most fascinating about Psalm 91 is that the last three verses are personal in our relationship like no other in the Scripture, Psalm 91:14-16, “Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. With long life I will satisfy him, And show him My salvation.” Our Abba Father is talking about what he will do for YOU!
The Rapture
Most believers have heard of “the Rapture.” Mathew 24:38-44, “For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming. But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”
The Rapture is Jesus reconnecting us (the redeemed) with our transformed eternal body and lifting us up to be with him. Noah got in the boat before the flood, because he built the boat before the flood. Today our faith builds our boat with Jesus. That connection is already in place for believers. Please pray on that. When our starting point is the last two 3½ year periods of lesser and greater tribulation from Daniel, we ask, when do we get raptured? At the beginning, in between or the end? Get rid of all that noise and the answer is easy, when Jesus comes back.
