In Luke 21, the Christians were to flee when they saw Jerusalem encompassed with armies. They were warned, and got out in time. Here it is plainly future, as spoken by Daniel the prophet. Sudden and sharp would be the enemy’s action; no time to be lost; escape to the mountain from off the roof, without anything. Do not go to the field, for the clothes left there. Woe to those who had to care for their young; how hard for them to escape, or in the winter, when the roads and gullies would be running streams, or on the Sabbath when only allowed to go a short distance, by the law. Here is another mark that it is Jewish (the Sabbath is not mentioned in Luke 21). Some of the Gentiles join in the persecution, others help the persecuted (Matt. 25:40,45).
Matthew 24:21-22. This brings us into the night of the great tribulation (Dan. 12:1; Jer. 30:7), such as was not from the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
The Lord will prepare a place of safety for His people (Rev. 12:6,14), and will encourage them with His promises (Rev. 14:12-13). Some will suffer much, others will be killed, but the Word will encourage them. A voice from heaven bade John write for them, “Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them.” If they lose their lives on earth, they will gain a heavenly place, and their works will follow them there. And then they will rest.
What comfort the suffering saints of that time will find in the Psalms, such as, “My times are in Thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me” (Psa. 31). The Lord’s eye will he upon them, like the refiner of silver, watching till their dross is purged – He will shorten the days for His elect’s sake.
Matthew 24:23-24. False prophets and false Christs arise with great signs and wonders, if possible to deceive the very elect. How easily cheated men are with a show of power, God has warned His people about this. (Deut. 13:1-3). Satan’s works of power are getting very plentiful now, but it will be full blown in that day. (2 Thess. 2:9). By such means souls are enticed and destroyed, led from the truth of God’s Word and ruined for eternity. Those that hearken to God’s Word will be kept in His path.
Matthew 24:26-27. They, being warned of God, and knowing that Jesus is on high, will not look for Him in the desert, or in the secret chamber; they will look for Him coming as the lightning cometh out of the east and shineth even unto the west; coming as the Son of Man from heaven, appearing in glory.
How blessed this divine certainty is, as we, the church, know it. We will be caught up to be with Him in the air. This is our blessed hope. (1 Thess. 4:15-17).
Matthew 24:28. With what unerring precision, and swiftness, the judgment will fall on the ungodly. There is no escape for them then.
Matthew 24:29-30. Now moral chaos and physical derangements, causing dire perplexity and fear in men’s hearts (see Luke 21:25-27), and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. (Joel 2:30-31). And then appears the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. He appears, to the great disappointment of all those who looked for an earthly Messiah to arise, who find after all it is the despised Jesus; but what joy to those who believed, and waited for Him to come from heaven. (Isa. 25:9). Then shall all the tribes of the land mourn, and they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
In Zechariah 12:10-14, grace is at work in giving repentance; here it is but worldly disappointment. The one is faith; the other, unbelief’s bitter fruit.
Matthew 24:31. And He shall send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, from one end of heaven to the other (Isa. 27:13; Zech. 2:16). The elect, in this chapter we learn by the context, is Israel. (Isa. 65:9,22). There are others who are elect, but the heavenly saints are caught up before this to meet the Lord in the air. There are also elect angels. (1 Tim. 5:21). The object of this prophecy is to show His coming for the relief and ingathering of Israel. He is King and Judge, and the angels sound the trumpet loudly to gather them.
(Continued from page 188).
(To be Continued).