(Matthew 24:4-444And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8All these are the beginning of sorrows. 9Then 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. 10And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. 15When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains: 17Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. 23Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 24For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25Behold, I have told you before. 26Wherefore 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. 27For 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. 28For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together. 29Immediately 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: 30And 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. 31And 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. 32Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: 33So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. 34Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. 35Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38For 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, 39And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 42Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 43But 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. 44Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. (Matthew 24:4‑44))
The Lord takes up His coming in relation to Israel first, because Matthew’s gospel is written particularly to the Jew. His coming in relation to Israel has to do with His Appearing after the Great Tribulation, and not the Rapture. He addresses His disciples as though they were the remnant of Jews that will be on earth in that coming day. They, therefore, morally occupy the place of the disciples of that time. Isaiah 8:15-1615And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken. 16Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. (Isaiah 8:15‑16) says, “Many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken. Bind up the testimony, seal the law among My disciples.” The mass of the Jews in that day will be snared by the deceptions of the Antichrist and will believe his lie, but a remnant (“My disciples”) will bow to the law and will bear witness for Him in that day.
The Appearing of the Lord will be for the deliverance of the Jewish remnant from their persecutors and for the restoration of the nation. There are, however, certain issues between the Lord and His earthly people that must be resolved first; namely, the Jew’s guilt of rejecting and crucifying Him 2000 years ago. The tribulation period that will precede the Appearing of Christ will be used of God to humble them and bring them to the point where they will own their national blood-guiltiness in His crucifixion, whereby they will receive Him as their Messiah. This, however, will be accomplished in a believing remnant of the nation only; the mass of the people (apostates) will be destroyed by their oppressors—namely, the King of the North (Dan. 11:40-4540And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. 41He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. 42He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. 44But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. 45And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. (Daniel 11:40‑45)).
In this section, there are three groups of signs. The first group pertains to things that will take place in the first half of Daniel’s prophetic week of seven years. The second group of signs pertains to the onslaught and presence of the Great Tribulation, which is the latter half of Daniel’s prophetic week. The third group of signs has to do with what will happen immediately after the Great Tribulation, when the Lord appears.
Signs That Pertain to Things Before the Great Tribulation
Before speaking of His Appearing in verses 27-28, the Lord gave the disciples various details that would mark the tribulation period in general.
There are not many passages of Scripture that speak of the first half of the prophetic week. The Lord calls this period “the beginning of sorrows” (vs. 8). There is the first book of the Psalms (1-41), these verses in Matthew 24, and also Revelation 6. While the Lord’s remarks in this section pertain predominately to the first half of the week, they are general enough in character to apply to the whole period of seven years.
A. C. Brown pointed out that the details given here by the Lord correlate to “the seals” in the sixth chapter of Revelation, which also has to do with the first half of the prophetic week. Verses 4-5 are, perhaps, an allusion to the 1st seal when there will be an effort by Papal Rome (the rider on the “white horse”) to deceive the masses into forming a western confederacy of ten nations—sometimes called the revival of the Roman Empire (Dan. 2:40-45; 7:7-840And the fourth kingdom shall be strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and bruise. 41And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay. 42And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. 43And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. 44And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. 45Forasmuch as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it brake in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and the gold; the great God hath made known to the king what shall come to pass hereafter: and the dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof sure. (Daniel 2:40‑45)
7After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. 8I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. (Daniel 7:7‑8)), or the Beast (Rev. 17:1-131And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will show unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: 2With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. 3So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 5And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. 7And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads and ten horns. 8The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is. 9And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth. 10And there are seven kings: five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. 11And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. 12And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. 13These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. (Revelation 17:1‑13)).
Verses 6-7 refer to the 2nd seal of Revelation 6, which speaks of the time when peace will be taken from the earth, and when there will be “wars and rumours of wars.” Verse 7b correlates with the 3rd seal of Revelation 6 when there will be widespread “famines” in the earth. Verse 7c correlates with the 4th seal when there will be devastating “pestilences” (diseases) whereby many will die.
Verses 9-14 answer to the 5th seal in Revelation 6 when martyrdom will abound. The Lord says here, “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.” Among the Jews in the land of Israel in that coming day, a remnant will distinguish itself from the mass by having real faith in God. They will fear God and tremble at His Word (Isa. 66:22For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. (Isaiah 66:2)). The remnant will preach the Gospel of the Kingdom, first in the land of Israel, and then throughout the world. It will be a message announcing the Jewish Messiah who is coming to set the world right and to establish His kingdom. They will preach it to their fellow Jews (Psa. 952Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms. (Psalm 95:2)) and to the Gentiles (Psa. 962Sing unto the Lord, bless his name; show forth his salvation from day to day. (Psalm 96:2)). The corrupt religious system of Rome that will control the newly formed western confederacy of nations will be incensed at this effort. They will see these Jewish evangelists as revolutionists who are trying to undermine their control of the empire by propagating doctrines of another power that is going to come and overthrow them. Persecution will result as the empire attempts to purge itself of these evangelists.
Having said this, I should mention that the godly Jewish remnant of that day will consist of two parts: the preserved portion, and the martyred portion. Many of these Jews will be miraculously preserved during the great persecution and will “endure unto the end” of the age—which will be the end of the Great Tribulation (vs. 13). Then they will enter the millennial kingdom of Christ on earth. The other portion of the remnant will be martyred for their testimony (Rev. 6:9-119And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. (Revelation 6:9‑11)). They will be raised at the end of the Great Tribulation (Rev. 14:1313And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, 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. (Revelation 14:13)) to receive a better portion with the glorified saints in the heavens (Rev. 20:44And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (Revelation 20:4)).
Signs That Pertain to the Onslaught and Presence of the Great Tribulation
As the middle of the prophetic week nears there are going to be signs that indicate the onslaught of the Great Tribulation—the latter half of Daniel’s prophetic week. The Lord speaks of this group of signs next.
We learn from Revelation 121And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. (Revelation 13:1) that the first war in prophecy will be a “war in heaven.” Michael and his angels will overthrow Satan and cast him and his emissaries out onto the earth (Rev. 12:7-97And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, 8And prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. 9And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Revelation 12:7‑9)). Knowing that his time is short and that the sphere of his operation is restricted, Satan will energize two men in particular, who will carry out his purposes on earth. They are the “Beast” (the same name as the empire) or “the little horn” (Rev. 13:4-74And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? 5And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. 6And he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme his name, and his tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. 7And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. (Revelation 13:4‑7); Dan. 7:8, 19-258I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things. (Daniel 7:8)
19Then I would know the truth of the fourth beast, which was diverse from all the others, exceeding dreadful, whose teeth were of iron, and his nails of brass; which devoured, brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with his feet; 20And of the ten horns that were in his head, and of the other which came up, and before whom three fell; even of that horn that had eyes, and a mouth that spake very great things, whose look was more stout than his fellows. 21I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; 22Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom. 23Thus he said, The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom upon earth, which shall be diverse from all kingdoms, and shall devour the whole earth, and shall tread it down, and break it in pieces. 24And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings. 25And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time. (Daniel 7:19‑25)), and the “Antichrist” or “the false prophet” – Rev. 13:11-1811And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. 12And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. 13And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, 14And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. 15And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. 16And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. 18Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. (Revelation 13:11‑18); 1 John 2:1818Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time. (1 John 2:18); Rev. 19:2020And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Revelation 19:20)). The first beast will be involved in the political affairs of the empire, and the second will be involved with religious affairs.
They will cause an upheaval in the western government (Rev. 6:12-1712And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; 13And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. 14And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? (Revelation 6:12‑17) – the 6th seal), and the corrupt Roman Church that will have ruled over the empire during the first 3½ years will be overthrown (Rev. 17:16-1816And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. 17For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. 18And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. (Revelation 17:16‑18)). The Beast or Little Horn will take over as a dictator. To unify the empire under his hand, he, with the help of the Antichrist, will cause a cessation of all worship in Judaism—which will be a breech of the terms of the covenant that the empire will have made with the Jews (Dan. 9:2727And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate. (Daniel 9:27)). The practise of Christianity (corrupted by the false church) will also be prohibited (Rev. 17:1616And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. (Revelation 17:16)). This will make way for a new religion—the worship of the Beast and its image (Rev. 13:4, 154And they worshipped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshipped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? (Revelation 13:4)
15And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. (Revelation 13:15)). The Antichrist will set up an image in the temple at Jerusalem called “the abomination that maketh desolate” (Dan. 12:1111And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. (Daniel 12:11)). The Lord speaks of this in the 15th verse of our chapter, calling it “the abomination of desolation.” Everyone in the empire will be forced to worship the Beast and its image!
The apostate mass of the Jews will comply with the new regulations, for they will have little interest in the tedious procedures of Jewish ceremony and worship anyway. They will see the Antichrist as their long looked-for Messiah, and he will reign over them as their “king” (John 5:4343I am come in my Father's name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive. (John 5:43); Dan. 11:36-3836And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done. 37Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all. 38But in his estate shall he honor the God of forces: and a god whom his fathers knew not shall he honor with gold, and silver, and with precious stones, and pleasant things. (Daniel 11:36‑38)). At this time God will send a “strong delusion” through the propaganda of the Antichrist to deceive the western world that has rejected “the love of the truth”—the gospel of the grace of God (2 Thess. 2:8-128And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:8‑12); Rev. 9:1-121And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. 2And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. 3And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth: and unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. 5And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. 6And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. 7And the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. 8And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. 9And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. 10And they had tails like unto scorpions, and there were stings in their tails: and their power was to hurt men five months. 11And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. 12One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter. (Revelation 9:1‑12)). The apostates, both in the Christian world and in the land of Israel, will believe the lie and be damned.
The remnant, however, will see the Antichrist as he truly is—as an impostor, and will not bow to the image, nor receive its mark in their hand or forehead. This will make existence for them very difficult, for without the mark of the Beast they will not be able to buy or sell anything (Rev. 13:16-1716And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: 17And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (Revelation 13:16‑17)). The authorities will implement a law for the arrest and execution of all who will not conform to the edicts of the new regime. As a result of their reluctance to go along with the corruption, the remnant will be hunted like animals, and many will be killed as the authorities attempt to purge the empire of non-conformists. This will be a far worse persecution than what Rome will inflict during the first half of the week. The Jewish remnant in the latter 3½ years of the prophetic week will be persecuted beyond measure—greater than in the days of the Holocaust!
We see here the Lord’s tender care for the remnant of that day. He gives a sign that, if acted on, will preserve them in the time of the great purge. He says that when “the abomination of desolation” is set up in the temple, they are to “flee into the mountains” for safety (vss. 16-20). They are not to turn back, even to get their coats, but are to run for their lives! There are at least seven different directions they will go (Matt. 24:14; 24:1614And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. (Matthew 24:14)
16Then let them which be in Judea flee into the mountains: (Matthew 24:16); Psa. 42:66O my God, my soul is cast down within me: therefore will I remember thee from the land of Jordan, and of the Hermonites, from the hill Mizar. (Psalm 42:6); Rev. 12:14-1714And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 15And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. 16And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. 17And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 12:14‑17); Isa. 16:3-53Take counsel, execute judgment; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noonday; hide the outcasts; bewray not him that wandereth. 4Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab; be thou a covert to them from the face of the spoiler: for the extortioner is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land. 5And in mercy shall the throne be established: and he shall sit upon it in truth in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness. (Isaiah 16:3‑5); Matt. 10:2323But when they persecute you in this city, flee ye into another: for verily I say unto you, Ye shall not have gone over the cities of Israel, till the Son of man be come. (Matthew 10:23); Rev. 11:1-131And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. 2But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. 3And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth. 4These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. 5And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. 6These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. 7And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. 8And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. 9And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. 10And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. 11And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them. 12And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them. 13And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. (Revelation 11:1‑13)).
Verses 16-26 indicate that the remnant will be subjected to a two-fold trial at that time. Firstly, they will face a physical trial of persecution. Their lives will literally be in jeopardy every day (vss. 16-21). Secondly, they will face a spiritual trial of seduction (vss. 22-26). Many “false Christs, and false prophets” will arise who will show “great signs and wonders.” When they see these things, they are to be a sign to them that such things are false, and not to be believed.
This two-fold trial is also mentioned in Revelation 12. “The dragon” (Satan) will let out of his mouth “a flood” in an effort to cause the believing remnant to be “carried away” by it (Rev. 12:13-1513And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. 14And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 15And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. (Revelation 12:13‑15)). This is a reference to the flood of apostasy that will be propagated by the Antichrist in those days—the spiritual trial of seduction. The dragon will also “make war with the remnant” (Rev. 12:1717And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. (Revelation 12:17)). This answers to the physical trial of persecution.
In verses 27-28 of our chapter, the Lord goes on to say that His coming at the end of the Great Tribulation (the Appearing) will be a public manifestation. It will not be some private thing done in “secret chambers” as the deceivers of that day will claim. Notice, this is “the coming of the Son of Man.” It is not the Rapture. Whenever you get the Lord’s coming spoken of as the coming of the Son of Man, it is not in connection with the Church. In fact, that title is not even used in the epistles where we have the unfolding of the Christian position and practise. “The Son of Man” is a title that the Lord takes when He is rejected by His people—Israel. It is only used in Scripture in relation to Israel and the Gentile nations of the earth and refers to His coming in judgment.
The Lord adds, “Wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles [vultures] be gathered.” In this, the Lord tells us where His coming in judgment will take place. It will be where the “carcase” is. A carcase, as you know, is a dead body—a body with no life in it. The Lord uses this as a figure to describe the apostate part of the nation who are but a lifeless body of persons in the land of Israel. They will have no spiritual life toward God. The “vultures” are the confederated Arab nations under the King of the North that will descend upon the land and wipe out the apostate Jews (Dan. 11:40-4540And at the time of the end shall the king of the south push at him: and the king of the north shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter into the countries, and shall overflow and pass over. 41He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon. 42He shall stretch forth his hand also upon the countries: and the land of Egypt shall not escape. 43But he shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the precious things of Egypt: and the Libyans and the Ethiopians shall be at his steps. 44But tidings out of the east and out of the north shall trouble him: therefore he shall go forth with great fury to destroy, and utterly to make away many. 45And he shall plant the tabernacles of his palace between the seas in the glorious holy mountain; yet he shall come to his end, and none shall help him. (Daniel 11:40‑45); Psa. 79:1-31<<A Psalm of Asaph.>> O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps. 2The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the heaven, the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the earth. 3Their blood have they shed like water round about Jerusalem; and there was none to bury them. (Psalm 79:1‑3)). It will be a ten-nation confederacy of Islamic peoples (Psa. 83:5-85For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee: 6The tabernacles of Edom, and the Ishmaelites; of Moab, and the Hagarenes; 7Gebal, and Ammon, and Amalek; the Philistines with the inhabitants of Tyre; 8Assur also is joined with them: they have holpen the children of Lot. Selah. (Psalm 83:5‑8)). This confederacy should not to be confused with the ten-nation confederacy in the west under the Beast (Rev. 13:1-21And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy. 2And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion: and the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority. (Revelation 13:1‑2)).
So, what the Lord is saying here, is that in the very place where these nations will descend upon the apostate Jews (i.e. the land of Israel) He will come back in judgment as the Son of Man. God will use these nations as His instrument to execute judgment upon the apostate mass of Jews who have rejected Christ and received the Antichrist.
Signs Pertaining to Things Immediately After the Great Tribulation
In verses 29–44, we have the third group of signs. These pertain to things immediately after the Great Tribulation. Verse 29 describes the condition of things that will exist in the land as a result of the work of the Antichrist. The “sun,” the “moon,” and the “stars” are figures used to describe the normal sources of spiritual light. But in that day, they will not shine into the hearts of men (Rev. 6:12-13; 9:2; 16:1012And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; 13And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. (Revelation 6:12‑13)
2And he opened the bottomless pit; and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. (Revelation 9:2)
10And the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, (Revelation 16:10); Isa. 5:30; 8:22; 13:1030And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof. (Isaiah 5:30)
22And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness. (Isaiah 8:22)
10For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. (Isaiah 13:10); Joel 2:10, 31; 3:1510The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: (Joel 2:10)
31The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the Lord come. (Joel 2:31)
15The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. (Joel 3:15)). Antichrist’s delusions will have left the people virtually without spiritual light—i.e. the knowledge of God. They will be enveloped in darkness (Isa. 8:21-2221And they shall pass through it, hardly bestead and hungry: and it shall come to pass, that when they shall be hungry, they shall fret themselves, and curse their king and their God, and look upward. 22And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness. (Isaiah 8:21‑22)).
“Then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven.” The Lord is going to come out of heaven in judgment as the Son of Man. The words, “in [on] the clouds of heaven,” indicate that it will be a public manifestation. His appearing at this time will be for the restoration of Israel.
Two Phases of Israel’s Restoration
Israel’s restoration will take place in two phases:
The First Phase
First, “the tribes of the earth [land]” will “mourn” in repentance. This refers to the two tribes—the remnant of the Jews. They will repent when they see the Lord and understand that He is the One whom they, as a nation, crucified (Zech. 12:10-1410And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. 11In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. 12And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; 13The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; 14All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart. (Zechariah 12:10‑14); Isa. 53:1-121Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? 2For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. 3He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. 5But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. 6All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth. 8He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken. 9And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth. 10Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. 11He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. 12Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. (Isaiah 53:1‑12)). They will receive Him as their Messiah (Psa. 110:33Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. (Psalm 110:3)). These “tribes” are not the ten tribes that are hidden in the four corners of the earth. We know this because it’s speaking of the tribes in “the land,” and the ten tribes will not be in the land when the Lord appears.
The “earth,” here, should be translated “land.” Prophecy distinguishes three spheres of God’s dealings on this planet. First, there is “the land” which is the land of Israel, not just what they presently occupy, but what was promised to Abram. (Walter Scott said that even in the time of David and Solomon the children of Israel only occupied 10% of what God gave them! They were given approximately 300,000 square miles, but they only took about 30,000.) Then, secondly, there is “the earth.” This is sometimes called the prophetic earth, and refers to a broader sphere, taking in not only the land of Israel, but also Western Europe—perhaps even America. Then thirdly, there is “the world,” which is broader yet, and includes the area beyond the prophetic earth. An interesting reference that shows the difference between these three is Isaiah 26:9-109With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. 10Let favor be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. (Isaiah 26:9‑10), “When Thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. Let favour be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the LORD.” (See also Isaiah 18:2-32That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled! 3All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye. (Isaiah 18:2‑3).)
The Second Phase
The second phase of Israel’s restoration has to do with the ten tribes. They too need to be restored to the Lord—but for different reasons. The two tribes are guilty of rejecting Christ and receiving the Antichrist; the ten tribes are guilty of neither. The ten tribes were not in the land of Israel at the time of the Lord’s first coming 2000 years ago and cannot be held responsible for His rejection. Nor will they be in the land during the Great Tribulation when the Jews receive the Antichrist. The ten tribes, however, are guilty of breaking the law, and the consequences are that they have been “removed into all the kingdoms of the earth” (Deut. 28:2525The Lord shall cause thee to be smitten before thine enemies: thou shalt go out one way against them, and flee seven ways before them: and shalt be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth. (Deuteronomy 28:25)). (The Jews have broken the law too, and have been scattered also, but they will return to the land at the beginning of the seven-year tribulation period with the help of some sea-faring power—probably the newly revived ten-nation confederacy in the west. (See Isaiah 1818In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan, and swear to the Lord of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruction. (Isaiah 19:18).)
Verse 31 tells us that there will be “a sound of a trumpet” that will go out over the world, and the ten tribes that are now lost, or hidden, will be exercised to return to the land of Israel. It is unlikely that this will be a literal trumpet call, but that some signal will awaken the ten tribes. This will happen shortly after the Lord will have appeared. The Lord will use “His angels” to aid the ten tribes to return to their homeland. Some Gentile nations who know that Israel’s Messiah has returned in power and glory will volunteer aid for their return also (Isa. 11:12; 14:1-2; 49:9-23; 60:8-912And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. (Isaiah 11:12)
1For the Lord will have mercy on Jacob, and will yet choose Israel, and set them in their own land: and the strangers shall be joined with them, and they shall cleave to the house of Jacob. 2And the people shall take them, and bring them to their place: and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of the Lord for servants and handmaids: and they shall take them captives, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors. (Isaiah 14:1‑2)
9That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be in all high places. 10They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them: for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them. 11And I will make all my mountains a way, and my highways shall be exalted. 12Behold, these shall come from far: and, lo, these from the north and from the west; and these from the land of Sinim. 13Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, O earth; and break forth into singing, O mountains: for the Lord hath comforted his people, and will have mercy upon his afflicted. 14But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. 15Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. 16Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. 17Thy children shall make haste; thy destroyers and they that made thee waste shall go forth of thee. 18Lift up thine eyes round about, and behold: all these gather themselves together, and come to thee. As I live, saith the Lord, thou shalt surely clothe thee with them all, as with an ornament, and bind them on thee, as a bride doeth. 19For thy waste and thy desolate places, and the land of thy destruction, shall even now be too narrow by reason of the inhabitants, and they that swallowed thee up shall be far away. 20The children which thou shalt have, after thou hast lost the other, shall say again in thine ears, The place is too strait for me: give place to me that I may dwell. 21Then shalt thou say in thine heart, Who hath begotten me these, seeing I have lost my children, and am desolate, a captive, and removing to and fro? and who hath brought up these? Behold, I was left alone; these, where had they been? 22Thus saith the Lord God, Behold, I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standard to the people: and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters shall be carried upon their shoulders. 23And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth, and lick up the dust of thy feet; and thou shalt know that I am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me. (Isaiah 49:9‑23)
8Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? 9Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee. (Isaiah 60:8‑9)). They will enter the land after being sifted by the Lord at the border (Ezek. 11:10; 20:34-3810Ye shall fall by the sword; I will judge you in the border of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord. (Ezekiel 11:10)
34And I will bring you out from the people, and will gather you out of the countries wherein ye are scattered, with a mighty hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with fury poured out. 35And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there will I plead with you face to face. 36Like as I pleaded with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so will I plead with you, saith the Lord God. 37And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant: 38And I will purge out from among you the rebels, and them that transgress against me: I will bring them forth out of the country where they sojourn, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the Lord. (Ezekiel 20:34‑38)) and will come into the knowledge of Christ’s finished work on the cross at that time (Zech. 13:66And one shall say unto him, What are these wounds in thine hands? Then he shall answer, Those with which I was wounded in the house of my friends. (Zechariah 13:6)).
The Fig Tree
(Vss. 32-35)
In verses 32-35, the Lord gives another sign having to do with the restoration of Israel in a parable of “the fig tree.” The fig tree, in Scripture, is a symbol of the nation of Israel. He says that when they see it putting forth “leaves,” then they should understand that the “summer”—the time of the bearing of fruit—is near. Through these many long years of Israel’s diaspora there has been no real fruit for God from that nation. They will bear fruit only after the Lord comes and they are restored to Him.
The Lord explains that there would first be a time of putting forth of “leaves” without fruit. In other words, the nation would make a profession of life, but there would be no fruit for God in it. This is what will go on in the early part of the tribulation period when the Jews return en masse to their homeland (Isa. 18:1-41Woe to the land shadowing with wings, which is beyond the rivers of Ethiopia: 2That sendeth ambassadors by the sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters, saying, Go, ye swift messengers, to a nation scattered and peeled, to a people terrible from their beginning hitherto; a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled! 3All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye. 4For so the Lord said unto me, I will take my rest, and I will consider in my dwelling place like a clear heat upon herbs, and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest. (Isaiah 18:1‑4)). They will return in unbelief of the Lord Jesus Christ being their true Messiah and will build up the nation by their own means (Psa. 73:1-121<<A Psalm of Asaph.>> Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart. 2But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped. 3For I was envious at the foolish, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4For there are no bands in their death: but their strength is firm. 5They are not in trouble as other men; neither are they plagued like other men. 6Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. 7Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. 8They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: they speak loftily. 9They set their mouth against the heavens, and their tongue walketh through the earth. 10Therefore his people return hither: and waters of a full cup are wrung out to them. 11And they say, How doth God know? and is there knowledge in the most High? 12Behold, these are the ungodly, who prosper in the world; they increase in riches. (Psalm 73:1‑12)). In the land today, some 4-5 million Jews have already returned; it is a precursor to the fig tree putting forth its leaves—a foreshadow, but not a fulfillment of these things
The Lord said that when “all these things” would happen (the various signs we have already looked at earlier in this chapter), they would know that the nation soon would be restored to the Lord and begin bearing fruit for Him again.
(Vss. 36-44)
Verses 36-44 fill out further details having to do with the Lord’s Appearing as the Son of Man. He says, “That day and hour knoweth no man.” This has often been mistakenly applied to the Rapture, but the Lord was referring to His Appearing—“the coming of the Son of Man.” The judgment in Noah’s day is brought in to illustrate this point. It was the wicked in that day who were taken away from the earth in judgment by the flood, while the righteous (i.e. Noah) lived on. This is what will happen when the Lord appears in judgment. The angels will go out over the prophetic earth and “sever the wicked from among the just” (Matt. 13:38-43, 49-5038The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 40As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. (Matthew 13:38‑43)
49So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 50And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:49‑50)). The Lord said, “Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” Those who are “taken” are taken out of the earth in judgment. The others are left behind to enter the kingdom. At the Rapture it will be quite the opposite; the believers will be taken away from the earth to heaven, and the unbelievers will be left behind on earth.
His Angels in a Two-Fold Work
When the Lord appears, He will dispatch His angels in a two-fold work; one will be for blessing, and the other for judgment. Some of the angels will go out over the world and gather the ten tribes back into the land of Israel to be blessed with the two tribes—the Jews (Matt. 24:3131And 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. (Matthew 24:31)) Other angels will go out over the prophetic earth and execute this judgment of which we speak.
Those who will be “taken” out in judgment will be cast directly into the lake of fire alive (Matt. 13:42, 50-5142And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:42)
50And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 51Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. (Matthew 13:50‑51)). They will not die and go into the separate (disembodied) state and wait to be raised at the Great White Throne to be judged. At the Appearing of Christ, they will come face to face with the Judge Himself and will not need a further judgment date. The first ones to be cast into the lake of fire at this time are the Beast and the false prophet—the Antichrist (Rev. 19:2020And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. (Revelation 19:20)). But those in the prophetic earth who have rejected the gospel of the grace of God and received the mark of the Beast will also be cast in there! They wanted the personal Beast and the Antichrist, thinking that they were saviours (1 Thess. 5:2-32For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. (1 Thessalonians 5:2‑3)), and in the end, God orders it that they share in their judgment.
Three Classes of People Leave Earth Without Dying
Scripture indicates that there will actually be three classes of persons that will leave this world without dying! First, there are those of the Church who are “alive and remain” at the time of the Lord’s coming—the Rapture (1 Thess. 4:1717Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:17)). Then there are those who will be cast directly into the lake of fire at the Appearing of Christ (Matt. 13:42, 50-5142And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. (Matthew 13:42)
50And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 51Jesus saith unto them, Have ye understood all these things? They say unto him, Yea, Lord. (Matthew 13:50‑51)). And lastly, after the Millennium has run its course, there will be those who will be transferred to the “new heavens and new earth” without seeing death (1 Cor. 15:26; 226The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. (1 Corinthians 15:26)
10According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. (1 Corinthians 3:10) Peter 3:13).
In verses 42-44 of Matthew 242And 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. (Matthew 24:2), the disciples are told to “watch” and be “ready.” The exhortation to watch is given 18 times in the New Testament. The Jewish remnant will need to watch. You say, “Watch for what?” They are to watch for the signs that will precede the coming of “the Son of Man” and thus, to know that His coming is near. It is likened to the breaking in of a “thief” because it will be a time of judgment. Five times in the New Testament the Lord’s coming is spoken of as the coming of a thief; it always refers to His Appearing and never the Rapture (Matt. 24:4343But 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. (Matthew 24:43); 1 Thess. 5:2; 22For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. (1 Thessalonians 5:2)
2But even after that we had suffered before, and were shamefully entreated, as ye know, at Philippi, we were bold in our God to speak unto you the gospel of God with much contention. (1 Thessalonians 2:2) Peter 3:10; Rev. 3:3; 16:153Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. (Revelation 3:3)
15Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. (Revelation 16:15)).