(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 8:15-16 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. 11:40-45).
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
(Matthew 24:4–14)
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; 7:7-8), or the Beast (Rev. 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. 66:2). 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. 95) and to the Gentiles (Psa. 96). 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. 6:9-11). They will be raised at the end of the Great Tribulation (Rev. 14:13) to receive a better portion with the glorified saints in the heavens (Rev. 20:4).
Signs That Pertain to the Onslaught and Presence of the Great Tribulation
(Matthew 24:15–28)
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 12 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. 12:7-9). 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. 13:4-7; Dan. 7:8, 19-25), and the “Antichrist” or “the false prophet” – Rev. 13:11-18; 1 John 2:18; Rev. 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. 6:12-17 – the 6th seal), and the corrupt Roman Church that will have ruled over the empire during the first 3½ years will be overthrown (Rev. 17:16-18). 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. 9:27). The practise of Christianity (corrupted by the false church) will also be prohibited (Rev. 17:16). This will make way for a new religion—the worship of the Beast and its image (Rev. 13:4, 15). The Antichrist will set up an image in the temple at Jerusalem called “the abomination that maketh desolate” (Dan. 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 5:43; Dan. 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. 2:8-12; Rev. 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. 13:16-17). 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; 24:16; Psa. 42:6; Rev. 12:14-17; Isa. 16:3-5; Matt. 10:23; Rev. 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. 12:13-15). 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. 12:17). 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. 11:40-45; Psa. 79:1-3). It will be a ten-nation confederacy of Islamic peoples (Psa. 83:5-8). This confederacy should not to be confused with the ten-nation confederacy in the west under the Beast (Rev. 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
(Matthew 24:29–31)
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; 16:10; Isa. 5:30; 8:22; 13:10; Joel 2:10, 31; 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. 8:21-22).
“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. 12:10-14; Isa. 53:1-12). They will receive Him as their Messiah (Psa. 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 26:9-10, “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 18:2-3.)
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. 28:25). (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 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; 60:8-9). They will enter the land after being sifted by the Lord at the border (Ezek. 11:10; 20:34-38) and will come into the knowledge of Christ’s finished work on the cross at that time (Zech. 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. 18:1-4). 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. 73:1-12). 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, 49-50). 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. 24:31) 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, 50-51). 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. 19:20). 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. 5:2-3), 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. 4:17). Then there are those who will be cast directly into the lake of fire at the Appearing of Christ (Matt. 13:42, 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; 2 Peter 3:13).
In verses 42-44 of Matthew 24, 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. 24:43; 1 Thess. 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10; Rev. 3:3; 16:15).