Matthew 24

Matthew 24:1

Matthew 24 and 25 comprise what is known as the Olivet Discourse, so named because it is a teaching Jesus gave to His disciples on the Mount of Olives overlooking Jerusalem. Chapter 24, the prophetic portion of the discourse, is basically a three-point message. In verses Mat_24:1 through Mat_24:14 Jesus speaks about the end times as they relate to the nations. In verses Mat_24:15 through Mat_24:36 He speaks about the end times as they relate to Israel specifically. In verses Mat_24:37 through Mat_24:42 He speaks about the end times as they relate to the church. As the disciples showed Jesus the temple, perhaps they were thinking, Wait a minute, Lord. Yes, the scribes and Pharisees are fools and hypocrites, but look at this temple! Surely there’s something good here. The temple was indeed an incredible building. The gates were brass. The courts were marble. The furnishings were gold. The stones were huge. The chipping and carving of these stones was done in a rock quarry miles away so that during construction not a sound was heard on the temple mount (1Ki_6:7). Since chiseling and shaping took place in the quarry, when the stones arrived at the temple mount, they fit together perfectly. Peter tells us we are living stones (1Pe_2:5). All of us will fit together perfectly in heaven. So guess what this world is. It’s the rock quarry. Do you ever feel like you’re being hammered on? Worn down? Chipped away? Welcome to the rock quarry. The Lord is smoothing us and preparing us here so that when we get to heaven, the sound of a hammer will not be heard.

Matthew 24:2

This would seem impossible in the minds of the disciples. After all, the stones Jesus was talking about were massive in size, measuring twenty feet high, twenty feet wide, and forty feet long. But guess what happened. Less than forty years after Jesus spoke these words, the Romans stormed Jerusalem and, although Titus commanded his soldiers not to desecrate or harm the temple, one of them threw a torch into it. The ensuing fire became so hot that the gold inside began to melt and run down the walls between the rocks. When it cooled and solidified, the Roman soldiers began to pull down the stones of the temple in order to get to the gold hidden in the crevices.

They didn’t quit until they had managed to pull down every single stone. Exactly as Jesus had prophesied, not one stone remained upon another. That is why if you go to Jerusalem today, all you will see is the Wailing Wall, a part of the temple foundation. It’s a massive wall, but small in comparison to what the temple had been.

Matthew 24:3

Associating the destruction of the temple with the end of the world, the disciples asked Jesus specifically, “What will be the sign of Your coming and the end of the world?”

Matthew 24:4

Although there were many Messianic promises and great expectation among the Jewish people, not one person came on the scene claiming to be Messiah until after Jesus came. Why? For the same reason no one counterfeits two hundred dollar bills. Counterfeiters only counterfeit that which is real.

Matthew 24:6

With forty tons of explosives and a sophisticated weapon for every person on this planet, mankind has armed himself to the proverbial teeth. One scientist was recently asked which weapons would be used in World War III. This atomic scientist gave an answer that I thought was insightful when he said, “I’m not sure exactly which weapons will be detonated in World War III. But I’ll tell you which ones will be used in World War IV: rocks.” “Rocks?” “Yes. Rocks will be all that’s left if World War III ever takes place.” Famine is the result of a population explosion. It took from the time of Adam until 1857 for the population of this planet to reach one billion. Since then, we add a billion people every twenty years. We now have seven billion people. It’s getting crowded, folks. And the effects are felt particularly in the third world. The Greek word translated “pestilence” implies unusual pestilence. Consider the AIDS virus. As of May 2001, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) claimed that over one million Americans had been infected with AIDS. But the Brookings Institution and others dispute that figure, claiming the number of Americans infected is much higher, possibly three to four million. In 1976 a geological survey team discovered an interesting change happening in the tectonic plates upon which the earth rests. These gigantic plates are shifting in such a way that earthquakes now occur with greater frequency and intensity than at any time in recorded history. Jesus said when we begin to see pestilence, superpowers at war, famine, and earthquakes, we are to know the end is near.

Matthew 24:8

The Greek word translated “sorrows” is what we think of as “birth pangs.” Like labor pains, war, famine, earthquakes, and pestilence will erupt and then subside. As we get closer to the time of “delivery,” these “contractions” will intensify. I personally believe that the next birth pang will birth the kingdom. We’re at eight centimeters, folks. Keep your eyes open and your ears tuned!

Matthew 24:9

Who shall be afflicted, killed and hated by all nations? The Jews. Yes, the Jews will experience a great revival during this time of tribulation. Yes, they will be saved by the millions. But they’ll also be hated. All nations of the world will vent their anger and their hostility on one small nation, the nation of Israel.

Matthew 24:10

Although millions will be saved, false prophets will come on the scene and attempt to deceive the whole world.

Matthew 24:12

After Christians are removed from this planet in the Rapture, sin will run rampant. Part of the reason for the Tribulation is that, through it, sin will be exposed in all its grotesqueness. Then, when Jesus comes back seven years later, after experiencing the hideous results of unchecked sin, people will be ready to submit to His righteousness. Yet after one thousand years of living in a virtual Garden of Eden during the millennium, those born during that time and raised in that environment will have one last opportunity to choose. Satan will be released and, incredible as it seems, many will choose to follow him. So much for the theories of B. F. Skinner and other psychologists who contend that environment is responsible for man’s problems. “If you change man’s environment, man will be good,” they say. Not so. Man will have a perfect environment for one thousand years. Yet he will still rebel against God. Why? Because people are born sinners (Psa_51:5). The solution, therefore, is not political reformation. The solution is spiritual regeneration. You can try to reform the political system. You can try to change the environment. But those are not the ultimate solutions. “Ye must be born again,” Jesus said (Joh_3:7). Man must be changed from the inside out. That’s the only answer. Because of sin, the love of peopleboth for God and for each otherwill grow cold. But he who endures the Tribulation will be saved. Enduring Through Tribulation A Topical Study of Mat_24:13 Mat_24:13 is not only applicable prophetically but also presently, for in this world, Jesus said we would have tribulations. Our Christian life is a race to be run (Heb_12:1). And that race, dear people, is not a one hundred-meter sprint. It’s a marathon. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.Mat_24:13 The Greek word translated “saved” is sozo, a word that refers to the full orb of God’s blessing. In other words, according to Mat_24:13, those who endure the marathon will experience the blessing of God upon themselves, their families, their ministries, their finances, and their vocations. They will experience the full orb of God’s blessing in every area of their lives. The Call to Endurance In the fifth chapter of his book, James picks up on the theme of enduring to the end… Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful [compassionate], and of tender mercy.Jas_5:11 This passage brings a question to our minds: “Lord, if You are merciful and compassionate, then why do You allow troubles to come against us and problems to plague us? Why don’t You do something, Lord?” James says, “Remember Job. Remember the heroes of the Old Testament. Don’t lose sight of their example.” There was one prophet who felt exceedingly weary. His name was Jeremiah. Jeremiah’s problems were mounting on all sides, and he was about to throw in the towel as far as ministry was concerned. “Jeremiah,” the Lord said to him, “you have run against the footmen and if you faint in running against the footmen, how will you run against the horses? You’ve been engaged in some battles.

But if you’re fainting now, what will you do when the horses come, when the big problems hit you?” (see Jer_12:5). The Lord went on to tell him that the Babylonians were coming to carry the Jews out of their homeland. It’s as if God said, “You think it’s tough now, Jeremiah, but I see what’s coming, and I am preparing you by allowing you to go through these difficulties and trials. I’m allowing you to go through hard times to prepare you for what I know lies ahead.” If God used hard times to prepare Jeremiah for the Babylonians, why didn’t He save Himself and Jeremiah a lot of trouble and just destroy the Babylonians in the first place? For the same reason He doesn’t destroy the problems in our lives: because this world has rejected His rule. Ever since the Garden of Eden, mankind has thumbed his nose at God and demanded liberation, saying, “We will do what we want.” It is because all of humanity throughout all of history has rebelled against God that we have disease and death, pollution and war, troubles and problems. Not only in the world generally, but in our worlds personally, whenever you and I rebel against the way of God, we reap devastation, destruction, and sadness. The Father does not promise to keep us from problems, but to be with us in them. Since He sees what is coming two years down the road, He says, “I see what’s ahead and I’m going to work with you right now to get you ready. I’m going to have you race against the footmen so that when the horses come stampeding through, you’ll be able to endure.” I think of Mama giraffe. When she gives birth, she does so from a standing position. This means when Baby giraffe is born, he immediately falls on his head ten feet to the ground. Mama then does something that absolutely intrigues me. After quickly stretching her neck down to check Baby’s condition, she stands upright once again, swings her front leg, and kicks him. Baby then tries to stand up, wobbles, and falls to the ground in exhaustion. No sooner does Baby collapse than Mama winds up her leg and kicks him once more. This happens, three, four, or five times until Baby finally musters up enough strengththe adrenaline flowing and terror filling his heartto stand up. Once Baby gets up on all fours, Mama again swings her leg and kicks his legs out from under him. And the process is repeated two, three, or four more times. The result? Within the first hour of his life, Baby learns how to get up quickly and to move away from Mama readily. Why does Mama giraffe do this? She’s not trying to be mean, but she instinctively understands that leopards, lions, hyenas, and jackals were watching the birth of her baby. Because giraffes are defenseless if they cannot move together in a pack, Baby must learn quickly how to stand up and get movingeven if it means getting mad at Mama and not understanding what she’s doing. Maybe you can relate. “What are you doing, God?” you might be asking. “I just barely get up and BAM! I’m down again. I just get going and BOOM! I’m flat on my face once more. What’s happening?” The Lord is teaching you something. He loves you and me enough that even though we misunderstand Him, shake our fist at Him, or turn our back on Him, He says, “I know this is needed in your life in order that you might stand and be established, in order that you might be able to run with the horses, in order that you might endure.” The Key to Endurance God is with us. That is the secret of endurance. By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season; esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward.Heb_11:24-26 Having grown up in Pharaoh’s court, Moses was in line to ascend the very throne of Pharaoh. Yet he chose instead to take on the reproach of Christ, for it was a greater treasure than the best Egypt had to offer. I like that! Sure, we go through suffering and reproach, tribulations and difficulties. But even they are better than the best the world has to offer us, with its heartache, disappointment, and disillusionment. At forty years of age, Moses said, “I would rather be with God’s people and suffer than remain in this place where the pleasures of sin are for but a season.” And he split the scene. Then he began to lead the people out of Egypt. For forty years, he led them through the wilderness. It wasn’t easy. It was hot and dry. You think you’re going through dry times? Think of Moses! You think people don’t like you? Scripture says three million Jews rose up as a single man with rocks in hand, ready to stone him (Exo_17:4). How did Moses make it? How did he endure the rejection, dry times, and constant troubles from within and without? Look at verse Heb_11:27: “By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured as seeing him who is invisible.” In other words, Moses saw God’s hand in every situation. Several years ago, I talked with a lady who was devastated. She was ready to leave everything to marry a man who lived across the country. Although she hadn’t known him very long, she felt it was providential. But the day before she was to leave, she discovered some things about him that indicated he had some serious problems. She had packed her goods, cut all her ties, and sold her business only to discover a day before the wedding that it wasn’t going to happen. I understood her feeling of disappointment as she wondered, What’s the Lord doing? Where is He? Why is He allowing this to happen to me? In response, I told her it would be like if I had come home and seen my daughter Christy unwrapping a king-size Snickers bar. As she was just about to take a big bite, I lunged at her, grabbed the Snickers from her, and threw it to the floor, saying, “Christy, haven’t you heard the news? Every Snickers in Oregon has been laced with arsenic. One bite will kill you!” Now, at that point, Christy would either have said, “Oh, Dad, I was just ready to enjoy that Snickers bar, and you took it from me. How mean!” Or she could say, “Oh, Daddy, thanks for rescuing me! You knew something I didn’t. You saved my life!” So, too, when the Father intervened in that lady’s situation, she had a choice to make. She could have said, “Why is this happening to me?” Or she could have seen Him who is invisible, seen His hand in everything, and said, “Father, thank You for grabbing the Snickers from me. You caught me just in time!” Dear saint, you have a choice to make right now in whatever you’re going through. You can either shrivel up and fade away like the shallow seed in Mark 4, or you can endure, seeing God’s hand in everything and everything in His hand. Look at God’s hand, and what will you see? A nail print. The invisible God became a visible Man in Christ Jesus. And as I see His nail-scarred hand, I have no choice but to say, “If You loved me enough to be pinned to the Cross for me and to plunge into hell for me, I will trust You, even though I may not understand what’s happening presently.” What is faith? According to Hebrews 11, it is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. There is no such thing as “blind faith.” On the contrary, faith sees more than unbelief ever will because it sees into an entirely different dimension. “Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (see Heb_11:3). The Hebrew word for create is bara, which means “to make something out of that which does not exist previously.” In other words, God made everything from nothing. It wasn t that He refashioned material that already existed, but rather that He started “from scratch” when He spoke the worlds into existence. So, too, the world in which you live personallyyour children, your job, your ministry, your marriage, and your financesis presently being framed. You are framing your world, even as God framed this world by speaking the Word. Think of a carpenter framing a house. The house is formed by how it’s framed. Maybe you have framed your world with unbelief and griping, complaining and doubting, saying, “Why me? How come? Where’s God?” Maybe you don’t like the house you live in because the walls are falling down, the tiles are falling off, and it’s a miserable place to live. Don’t blame God. You built it. You framed it with complaints, cynicism and faltering faith. We have another option. We can say, “By faith I will frame my world with the Word of God. I will study the Scriptures. I will claim the promises and speak them in faith.” And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.Rom_8:28 …For the joy of the LORD is your strength.Neh_8:10 But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.Php_4:19 Today I can build a house trusting God, seeing Him who is invisible, and believing His promisesor I can murmur to my wife when I get home. God judged the nation of Israel because they murmured in their tents (Deu_1:27). Husbands and wives got together, spoke words of complaint and unbelief to each other, and a great plague struck the land. Speak the promises of God to each other. Go on record. Build a world that is in accordance with the Word of God as revealed in Scripture. Speak words of faith, and you’ll endure. Winston Churchill, 248 pounds of solid inspiration, saw England through Germany’s blitzkrieg. As the Third Reich dropped thousands of bombs on London, Hitler felt, as did other international observers, that England would fall easily. But this bulldog of a man, Winston Churchill, went on the air time and time again, calling his nation to hang on and to believe. And England didn’t go down. Years later, one of his alma maters, an exclusive prep school, asked him to speak at graduation. When he accepted the invitation, the headmaster of the school was elated. For weeks he told the student body, “Soon Winston Churchill is coming. The most powerful orator in history is going to speak here. When he comes, bring your pencils and paper and take note of every word he says.” Finally the day came. The graduation service began. The students, sitting behind the speakers’ podium, had pencils and paper poised. The parents and guests settled in for a long, inspirational speech. After many flowery introductions, Churchill finally arose from his chair, took the podium, and turned around to address the young men behind him. “Gentlemen,” he said, “Never give up. Never give up. Never, never, never, never, give up.” Then he sat down. The students were stunned. The audience was amazed. And none of them ever, ever, ever forgot it. That’s what Jesus says to us. Never give up. He that endures to the end shall be saved. So when the Father seems to be kicking your wobbly legs out from under you or when you seem to be running hard against the footmen, know this: It’s all working for your ultimate salvation. Endure, gang, by seeing the invisible. Endure by framing your world with faith. And never give up.

Matthew 24:14

Sometimes I hear preachers say that, on the basis of this verse, we must evangelize the world so Jesus can come back. I personally don’t believe that is a correct understanding of this Scripture. Jesus will come back at a time already appointed by the Father. Surely the gospel is to be preached, and surely we are to participate in the process. But the second coming is not dependent upon us, for the greatest explosion of evangelism this world has ever seen will not take place until after we’re gone. Revelation 7 tells us that after the Rapture, 144,000 Jewish evangelists will be anointed.

Moses and perhaps Elijah will come back on the scene, working miracles and calling down fire from Heaven. An angel will fly across the sky saying, “Don’t be fooled by Antichrist’s system. Don’t take the mark of the beast.”

Matthew 24:15

Verse Mat_24:15 begins the second section of Matthew 24. Jesus had spoken of the nations in verses Mat_24:1-14. In verses Mat_24:15-36, He will speak of the Jews. Speaking to the Jews, Jesus says very pointedly, “When you see the event spoken of by the prophet Daniel, called the abomination of desolation, run to the wilderness as fast as you can. Get out! Things are coming down!” What is the abomination of desolation? There are two parts to this cataclysmic eventone historic, one prophetic. Dan_11:31 speaks of the historic aspect of the abomination of desolation in reference to a tragic event in Jewish history. Following the reign of Alexander the Great, a king named Antiochus Epiphanes ruled Syria. He was an egomaniacal madman who believed he was the embodiment of the Greek god Zeus. When Antiochus realized that the Jews in Israel were not acknowledging him as God, he became enraged and ordered the destruction of Jerusalem. Thus, on a single day in 170 B.C., one hundred thousand Jewish males were slaughtered, the women raped, the city looted. Then Antiochus himself entered the temple, butchered a pig on the altar, and forced the priests to drink its blood and eat the raw pork.

Finally, he smeared the remainder of the blood on the temple walls. It was the abomination of desolation for it was abominable and it left the people desolate. The second aspect, an event yet to happen, is prophesied in Dan_9:27. In the last days, a man will come on the scene who will make a seven-year peace treaty with Israel. Appearing to be her friend and protector, this leader will seem to defuse all of the problems in the Middle East. He will be charismatic and persuasive, an impressive intellectual, and a skilled orator. Called Antichrist in Scripture, he will capture the attention of the entire world. Although he will initially come across as a man of peace, in the middle of his seven-year peace treaty, 2 Thessalonians 2 tells us he will set up his image in the temple and demand to be worshipped as God. This second abomination will result in desolation across this planet. Jesus said, “When you see this happenRun!” Where? Zechariah declares that following the abomination of desolation, the Jews will indeed flee. But only one-third of them will make it to safety (Zec_13:8-9). Tragically, two-thirds of the Jewish nation will be caught in the flood of persecution that will follow Antichrist’s declaration of war against them. The violence and bloodshed will be staggeringbeyond anything this world has ever seen. Most Bible teachers believe the remainder of the Jews will run to the ancient city of Petra. Located in present-day Jordan, Petra is a mysterious, miraculous city indeed… In approximately 2000 B.C., Esau settled in a volcanic crater that was approximately a mile in length. It was an incredibly secure place, for to get into the crater, one had to go through a narrow canyon only twelve feet wide in many places with a rock face between two hundred feet and one thousand feet high on either side. The entire city could be easily guarded by only fifteen soldiers marching along the ridges above its narrow entrance. Thus, the descendants of Esau, called the Edomites, dwelt in this city of Petra for centuries, believing they were invincible. Over the years, they constructed an architectural phenomenon. Carved right into the rock are amphitheatres, banks, temples, and an aqueduct system that baffles scientists to this day.

With a population of one million, no one can figure out how they got enough water into the city to sustain the inhabitants. The Edomites were a proud people who trusted in their fortress, rested in their cliff city, and had no need of Jehovah. So Obadiah came on the scene in the name of the Lord and said they would fall. And guess what. They did. The city began to weaken when it was struck with a plague.

Eventually, the Edomites were wiped out entirely. For many years, people heard stories about the rock city of Petra. Bible teachers would talk about it, but in most people’s minds, it had been relegated to the same status as the lost city of Atlantisa mythological place that never really existed. In 1812, however, a Bible teacher/explorer/adventurer named Johann Burckhardt was determined to find Petra. And when he finally did, he couldn’t believe what he saw, for although it had been abandoned for centuries and remains desolate to this day, he was amazed by its grandeur and splendor. Perhaps most arresting, however, were the two huge eagles’ wings carved into the rock at the very entrance of the city, for the Book of Revelation declares that the remnant of Israel will be saved by the wings of an eagle (Rev_12:14). A number of years ago, W. E. Blackstone, another Bible teacher, was so convinced that Petra will be the place in which the Jews are kept safe, he purchased thousands of Hebrew New Testaments, underlined passages like Matthew 24 and Revelation 12, and left them in earthen jars throughout Petra.When the Jews get there, the Bibles will be waiting for them. I love it!

Matthew 24:17

You might be thinking, What is this about a housetop? How many times are we on our roofs? Remember, this section is speaking to the Jews, and in Israel even to this day, people relax on roof-top decks.

Matthew 24:18

Pray that the abomination of desolation doesn’t come on the Sabbath day. Why? Because in Israel, transportation comes to a standstill on the Sabbath. This is another indication that Jesus is speaking to the Jews. It wouldn’t matter if the abomination of desolation came on the Sabbath in our country. Sadly, our nation treats the Sabbath no differently than any other day.

Matthew 24:22

The final three -and -one-half years after Antichrist reveals his true nature in the temple and the Jews flee to the wilderness will be a time of disaster, destruction, and death unlike any other in history. Here, Jesus is saying that unless the days were shortened, no one would survive them. The entire world would be annihilated. But God will shorten those days for the elect’s sake. And here is where controversy arises. There are those who say that since the church is called “the elect,” the church must be in the Tribulation period. Mark this down, students of prophecy: In passages such as Isa_45:4; Isa_65:9; and Rom_11:28, God specifically calls Israel “His elect.” It’s not just Christians who are called “the elect.” In fact, there are three groups in the Bible who are called by that name: Israel, the church, and those saved in the Tribulation. Keep in mind that in verses Mat_24:15-36with references to Judaea, the Sabbath, and the templeJesus is still speaking to Israel.

Matthew 24:23

False spiritual leaders will come on the scene, saying, “We have found Messiah. He’s in the desert,” or “He’s over here,” or “He’s over there.” Jesus said, “Don’t believe any of them. When I truly come, it will be like lightning. It will be obvious to everyone.” He didn’t say, “I’m coming again to Brooklyn in 1921 to reveal Myself to the Watchtower Society.” He didn’t say, “I’m coming again in the late 1800s to reveal Myself through magic spectacles to Joseph Smith.” No. He said, “When I come, it will be like lightning. Everyone will see Me.”

Matthew 24:28

Here, Jesus makes an allusion to the battle of Armageddon that is further illuminated in Revelation 19. When the nations of the world come together for war in the Valley of Megiddo, carcasses will indeed abound and vultures will follow. So, too, the world system with all its pride, pomposity, and prowess will become nothing more than a dead carcass. No matter how much progress we might make politically, the system will always be corrupt because of depravity. Things are wrong in society, and the answer lies not in capitalism, socialism, or communism. The answer is not democracy, oligarchy, or anarchy. The only answer is the return of Jesus Christ.

Matthew 24:29

Why will the tribes of the earth mourn? Zechariah tells us that when Israel looks at Jesus and sees the wounds in His hands, the Jews will say, “Where did You get those wounds?” “I received these in the house of My friends,” He will answer (Zec_13:6). And Israel will mourn as they look upon the One they have pierced.

Matthew 24:31

The angels shall gather the elect. Which elect? The Jews. Remember, Jesus is still dealing with Israel in this section. In 1948, something took place that had never before happened in history: a nation was re-birthed. A nation that hadn’t existed for almost two thousand years was suddenly re-established exactly as the Old Testament prophesied when Jews from all over the world gathered in Israel once again.

But their gathering has not been even close to complete. For example, more Jews live in New York City than live in the entire nation of Israel. And even though thousands of Russian Jews immigrated into Israel each week in the wake of the fall of the iron curtain, most of them immediately sought to leave Israel for New York. When Jesus comes back again, there will be a complete re-gathering. When will that happen? Look at verse Mat_24:32.

Matthew 24:32

The fig tree is the symbol of Israel nationally, historically, and scripturally. On May 14, 1948, the fig tree blossomed once again when the land of Israel was returned to the Jews. Jesus said the generation that sees that event take place will not pass away. Who is that generation? We are. The Final Generation A Topical Study of Mat_24:32-35 Written by a then-unknown author named Hal Lindsay, The Late Great Planet Earth exposed an entire generation to the concepts of the Rapture of the church and the return of Jesus Christ. It was foundational to the Jesus Movement of the ’70s, which started on the West Coast, spread across the country, and eventually circled the globe. Lindsay and other teachers of prophecy during that time stressed this teaching in Matthew 24. The parable of the fig tree enflamed the hearts of an entire generationfor Jesus said the budding of the fig tree signaled His impending return. What is the budding of the fig tree? Scripture interprets Scripture. Thus, Jeremiah, Joel, Hosea, and others identify the fig tree as the nation Israel. For centuries, Israel seemed to be a dead tree. In the year A.D. 70, the Romans marched into Jerusalem, destroyed the city, and took over the country. The Jews scattered every direction in fulfillment of Deu_28:64-67. But in addition to saying the Jews would be scattered throughout the world, God also said, “But The Lord liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land” (Jer_23:8). You see, when the Jews were scattered, something happened historically that had never happened previously in world history. Without a homeland, the Jewish people kept their identity, religion, and ethnicity intact. No other nation in the history of the world has ever done that. Every other country swallowed by another has become assimilated by the conquering culture within two generations. That is why you never hear of Babylonians today and why none of you have Assyrian neighbors. The Jews kept their identitynot for two generations, but for two thousand years. Through wave after wave of persecution, prejudice and bigotry, Satan was relentless in his attempt to destroy them. But he failed. Satan’s plans always backfire. In the aftermath of the Holocaust, the world said, “The Jews deserve a land of their own. World sympathy was with the Jewish people for the first and only time in history. So it was that on May 14, 1948, Israel became a nation again. The fig tree that had appeared to be dead and hopeless suddenly sprang back to life and blossomedjust as Jesus prophesied. And, according to Mat_24:34, the generation that saw that happen would be the final generation. What constitutes a generation? Hal Lindsay and others taught that a Biblical generation could be a thirty-eight to forty-year time period. And the Lord’s anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the LORD, was consumed.Num_32:13 And the space in which we came from Kadesh-barnea, until we were come over the brook Zered, was thirty and eight years; until all the generation of the men of war were wasted out from among the host, as the LORD sware unto them.Deu_2:14 Thus, anticipation grew. Excitement and expectancy filled the hearts of many, for if you add forty years to 1948and if you believe the rapture of the Church takes place seven years before the return of Jesus, the Rapture would take place in 1980 or 1981. Truly the time was near! T-shirts, bumper stickers, and posters were printed. Maranatha"Come quickly, Lord"became the watchword of believers. 1981 came. So did 1982, ‘83, ‘84, ‘85, and ‘86. And then something began to happen. A whole bunch of radical Christians began to cool off, saying, “Maybe we’re here for a while after all. Maybe we shouldn’t be so committed to this kingdom thing.” Oh, they didn’t say it in those exact words, but that’s what they were thinking. And a dulling of expectancy swept over our generation. What went wrong? Perhaps forty years is not the figure we should work with when looking at a Biblical generation. Take a look at Genesis 15… And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again…Gen_15:13-14, Gen_15:16 Here in Genesis 15, God refers to the four-hundred-year period the Jews were in Egypt as four generations. Therefore, in this model, a generation is not forty years but one hundred years. If a generation is one hundred years, am I suggesting that the Rapture will take place in 2048one hundred years after the rebirth of the nation of Israel? No. I suggest it will be before then. You see, there is a principle in Bible interpretation called the Principle of First Mention that says foundational understanding about any given subject is usually found in the first place it is mentioned in Scripture.

Where is the Greek term, “generation” first mentioned? In Mat_1:17 we read: So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations. Sharpen your pencils and think with me: Christian and Jewish theologians alike agree that, based on Biblical genealogies, Abraham was called by God in the year 2085 B.C. Genesis 2 tells us he was seventy-five years old at that time, which means Abraham was born in 2160 B.C. Mat_1:17 tells us there were forty-two generations (14x3) from Abraham to Christ. So, if you divide 2160the year of Abraham’s birthby 42, you get 51.4. Thus, scripturally, there is validity for a Biblical generation to be 51.4 years Jesus told us that no man knows the day or the hour of His return. But of the times and season we are not to be ignorant (1Th_5:1). Heb_10:25 says we are not to forsake assembling ourselves together so much the more as we see that day coming. 1 Thessalonians tells us that the return of Christ will surprise the world but not us (1Th_5:5). But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.2Pe_3:8 From the Lord’s perspective, one thousand years equals one day and one day equals one thousand years. This answers a lot of questions. For example, God told Adam that the day he ate of the forbidden fruit he would surely die. Yet Adam lived to be 938 years old. Why? From God’s perspective, a day being a thousand years, Adam died towards the end of the “day” in which he sinned. God kept His promise perfectly. From this perspective, the early church fathers taught that the Genesis account of creation is not only history, but prophecy. God worked for six days. So, too, this world will work for six thousand years. On the seventh day of creation, God rested. So, too, in the seven thousandth year, there will come a one thousand-year period of time called the millennium when there will be rest and peace. When is the seven thousandth year? When will Christ return? In the year 1670, a brilliant thinker and theologian, Archbishop Usher, made some calculations that have withstood computer confirmation. By adding the years of the genealogy in Genesis, he calculated that Adam appeared on the scene in 4004 B.C. “Wait a minute,” you say. “It is well known that man has been on the earth for multiplied millions of years. How can you say that the first man appeared only six thousand years ago?” Science is not at all committed to an ancient earth theory any longer. Dr. Stuart Ross, a brilliant astronomer and thinker, but not a believer, wrote a book entitled The Lunar SilenceA Post-Apollo View, in which he makes a number of fascinating observations, among them the following… In our first manned shot to the moon about twenty years ago Neil Armstrong stepped on to the moon’s surface saying, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” Did you ever wonder why it was that he had to climb so far down from the module to actually set foot on the moon? Why was the module perched twenty-five feet off the moon’s surface? Ross writes that scientists, believing the moon to be 4.6 billion years old, were convinced that the accumulation of meteorite dust on the moon’s surface would be at least two thousand and perhaps as much as twenty thousand feet deep. After all, if you didn’t dust your house for 4.6 billion years, what would your house look like? So, twenty-five-foot legs with big cushions were constructed in order that the module could compact the dust as it landed and not sink indefinitely into a sea of meteorite powder. Imagine the scientists’ surprise when they watched the lunar module set down without sinking a bit.

In fact, the greatest depth of lunar dust measured thus far is two inches. Consequently, a number of scientists, including Dr. Stuart Ross, are now saying the moon can be no more than ten thousand years old. On the other hand, even if you opt for an ancient earth, I still believe that the genealogies of Genesis take you back accurately to 4000 B.C.or six thousand years ago. Gen_1:1 says, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Gen_1:2 says, “And the earth was without form, and void.” The Hebrew translation of “without form and void” is tohuw va bohuw, which means “chaotic, turned upside-down, emptied.” Isa_45:18, however, says “…God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain.” In other words, He created the earth with form. Is this a contradiction? No. Along with many Bible scholars, I believe a cataclysmic event occurred between Gen_1:1 and Gen_1:2. I believe it was between these two verses that Lucifer, the highest angel in Heaven, launched a rebellion against God and was cast out of Heaven. And it was when he fell to earth that the earth became “tohuw va bohuw.” So God recreated the earth. That’s why, in Gen_1:28, He told Adam to replenish and subdue the earth (Gen_1:28). Subdue it from whom? From Satan, who had set up his headquarters on this planet. Whether you espouse an “old earth” theory or a much younger earth theory, the genealogies of Genesis meet with no scientific contradiction. Adam made his entrance in 4000 B.C. What does this mean? The answer is found in the Book of Hosea… Come, and let us return unto the LORD: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up. After two days will he revive us: in the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight.Hos_6:1-2 Writing of the End Times, Hosea says for two days the Jewish people will go through hard, tearing, difficult times. But on the third day, they will be revived. Thus, the calculation is complete: Day 1Adam is created4000 B.C.Day 4The coming of Jesus ChristA.D. 1Days 5-6Israel goes through hard timesA.D. 1-2000Day 7Israel revived during millenniumA.D. 2000I am not alone in this interpretation. In A.D. 150, Iranius wrote concerning the Book of Genesis: “This is an account of things formerly created as it is also a prophecy of things which are yet to come, for the day of the Lord is as one thousand years. And in six days, created things were completed. It is evident, therefore, they will come to an end at the end of six thousand years.” Lactanius said this in A.D. 300: “Because all the works of God were finished in six days, it is necessary that the world should remain in this state for six thousand years. Because having finished works, He rested on the seventh day and blessed it, it is necessary then, at the end of the six thousandth year, wickedness should be abolished out of the earth and righteousness should then reign for one thousand years.“God’s week of human history is rapidly coming to completion. The return of Christ is nigh. I believe you who are in your teens and early twenties are very possibly the last generation. Set your heart on things above. Live for heaven. Seek first the kingdom, and you will be happy presently, rewarded eternally, and grateful constantly. You who are older, continue setting an example for us who are younger. Continue to make the Lord top priority in your life. We’re looking to you in a very real sense. Please keep the fire hot. Fellow baby boomers, we need to realize that Jesus Christ is coming soon. We don’t have time to play around. We don’t have time to chase worldly pursuits any longer. We need to return to ministry and service, worship and prayer, Bible study and street witnessing. Whatever it was you used to do when you were fired up about Jesus in the ’70s, do it again. Maranatha!

Matthew 24:36

Jesus used the budding fig tree as an example of what to watch for regarding His return, for although no one will know the exact day and hour of His arrival, Paul tells us we will recognize the times and seasons (1Th_5:1).

Matthew 24:37

Like Noah, you and I are end times believers. Noah lived before the Flood, we before the fire. Noah spoke of coming rain, we of the coming reign. And just as it was in Noah’s day, so it will be in the day of Jesus’ coming. What was it like in Noah’s day? In Genesis 6, we see four parallels between Noah’s day and the days in which we live. In the days of Noah, there was a population explosion (Gen_6:1). Due to the fact that in Noah’s day, men lived for eight or nine hundred years, there were probably five to six billion people on the planet during the time of the Flood. In the days of Noah, abnormal sexual practices abounded (Gen_6:4). Most Bible scholars believe that Gen_6:4 is a reference to fallen angels having sexual relationships with human women. So, too, we live in a time of abnormal sexual practices. Things that were unthinkable a generation ago are now commonplace and accepted. When the hierarchy of the Episcopal Church is encouraging homosexual union as a pathway to personal holiness (Newsweek: 2/90), we are indeed living in dark, dark days. In Noah’s day, the imagination of man was evil continually (Gen_6:5). Seeing that men’s hearts were only evil continually, God decided to lovingly put them out of their misery. Thus, the Flood accomplished quickly and mercifully the destruction their sin and perversion would bring about inevitably. So, too, the imagination of people in our society is evil continuallyas evidenced by the fact that in our country, legal pornography is now a multi-billion dollar industry. In Noah’s day, violence filled the earth (Gen_6:11). I read recently that the high rate of suicide among policemen is attributed to the fact that of the thousands of violent crimes committed in this country, only a handful of criminals are brought to justice. No wonder policemen are frustrated and suicidal. Violence runs rampant, while justice is hamstrung.

Matthew 24:38

Although Noah had been pounding on his ark and preaching to the people for one hundred and twenty years, they didn’t listen. Since it had never rained on the planet before, they must have thought Noah was all wet.

Matthew 24:39

This is a controversial passage. Many say Jesus is speaking of the judgment that will take place when He comes back to rule and reign in Jerusalem. However, I join those who believe Jesus is speaking not of judgment but of the Rapture. You see, the Greek word translated “took” in verse Mat_24:39 is airo. But in verses Mat_24:40 and Mat_24:41, the word translated “taken” is paralombano. Why?

Looking through my concordance, I find three other times paralombano is used. In Mat_1:20, the angel told Joseph not to be afraid to take Mary as his bride: In Mat_17:1, Jesus took Peter, James, and John with Him up the Mount of Transfiguration. In Joh_14:3, Jesus said, “I will come again and take you unto Myself, that where I am there ye may be also.” And I begin to see a pattern. Using paralombano, Jesus is not talking about judgment, punishment, and damnation. He’s talking about a bride, glory, and Heaven. In other words, He’s talking about the Rapture.

Matthew 24:42

In light of the end times, Jesus instructs us to be faithful servantsto be watchful, wise, and warned concerning our Master’s return. Being Watchful, Wise, Warned A Topical Study of Mat_24:42-49 After giving His disciples information concerning the end times, Jesus now gives them inspiration for all times. You see, prophecy is not given to titillate our curiosity. Rather, prophecy should motivate us to sobriety. An Exhortation to Be Watchful Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. But 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. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.Mat_24:42-44 When will Jesus come? If you’re not watching, He’ll come when you least expect Him. The story is told of a lady in Czechoslovakia who was in great despair. Having recently discovered that her husband had been seeing another woman, she stood on her fifth-floor balcony, wondering whether she should kill him or whether she should take her own life. She decided to do the latter. She jumped. Little did she know that at that very moment, her husband was walking on the sidewalk directly below. She landed right on top of him. He died. She lived. Watch! You never know who will be dropping in! You who are feeling despondent, discouraged, defeated, and depressed, know this: The Lord is coming! Watch! An Exhortation to Be Wise Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.Mat_24:45-47 What are we to be doing in Jesus’ absence? We are not to be sitting around, goofing off, or kicking back. Jesus says the wise servant is the one who is doing good. “But my doing good doesn’t seem to be doing any good,” you say. I heard the story of a man who lived in the North Beach section of San Franciscoan area known for sin and carnality of the worst sort. As he watched the neighborhood begin to sink into sin, he went out on the streets and, while the barkers were trying to pull people into their topless bars, he talked to people about Jesus. In the early ’40s and ’50s he even wore a sandwich sign with a gospel message neatly lettered on both sides. A few years ago, this precious old man was asked, “Why do you keep doing this? It’s not doing any good.” “I may not be changing them,” he said. “But I’m doing this lest they change me.” Truly, this was a wise servant. An Exhortation to Be Warned But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken…Mat_24:48-49 The word “evil” here is interesting. Kakos in Greek, it means “something that was once good but has gone bad.” It’s a word used to describe an instrument out of tune or a piece of fruit gone bad. How did this servant go bad? He simply tired of waiting for his master’s return. His sense of urgency and expectancy was replaced with brutality and carnality. First, brutality. You can tell when you are falling into the “evil servant” mentality when you begin to “smite your fellowservants,” when you begin to beat up on people verbally and treat them unkindly. You see, if I am truly looking for the Lord’s coming today, it will affect how I treat every person with whom I come in contact. I will treat my wife differently if I believe Jesus is coming back within the hour. I’ll talk to the guys at work differently if I believe Jesus will show up there any moment. You won’t push people around; you won’t put people down; you won’t beat people up if you believe Jesus is coming back soon. Second, carnality. The evil servant began to “eat and drink with the drunken.” That’s why almost one-third of the Bible deals with prophecy and why prophecy can never be over-emphasized. Speaking of the coming of Jesus, the apostle John said, “And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself” (1Jn_3:3). Truly, I am blessed as I look at Applegate Christian Fellowship and see the process of purification taking place. The Lord is changing the congregation there. Why? Because they are looking for His coming. They may have had setbacks. They might yet have struggles. But year after year, decade after decade, we who are looking for His coming find ourselves saying, “Lord, I want to be ready. I want to put away those things with which I once flirted. I want to keep looking for You.” Folks, heavenly rewards are not going to be little medals to pin on our shirts or flimsy trophies to put on our shelves. No, our rewards will affect our very beings for all of eternity (1Co_15:40-41, Dan_12:3). That’s why the Lord talked so much about His coming. That’s why He gave us the Book of Revelation. Heaven is real, gang. And when you get there, my prayer is that you will hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” How can that happen? One way. Priority is the key. Even though there were still millions of people who were physically diseased and spiritually lost, Jesus said, “Father I have glorified thee and finished the work which thou hast given Me to do” (see Joh_17:4). How could Jesus say this? Because He finished the work the Father gave Him to do. To make your life meaningful presently and to prepare for eternity, you must hear what the Father tells you to do instead of listening to the pressures and demands of people. Burdens from people and preachers, churches and organizations are heavy. But Jesus says, “My yoke is easy. My burden is light” (see Mat_11:30). In Ezekiel 44, God told the priests they were to wear no wool, lest it cause them to perspire. They were to wear only linen because He didn’t want them “sweating” in their service for Him. The same is true for us. It is not the heart of our Father that we frantically try to meet every need and minister to every problem. We’ll burn out in the process. Rather, it is His desire that we are faithful in the work He gives us to do. How do we find out what His work for us is? Moses went to the mountain to meet the Lord and came down with the Commandments (Exo_19:20). A great while before morning, Jesus would go to a solitary place to pray (Mar_1:35). Follow the example of Moses and Jesus and daily enter the presence of the Lord, saying, “Lord, guide my thoughts right now as I spend time in Your Word and talk about the day ahead with You.” He might say, “I want you to mow your neighbor’s lawn.” He might whisper, “Can you take an hour away from TV tonight and pray for the mission in Carmen Serdan?” His answer might be, “Write a letter to your brother.” The Lord isn’t cracking the whip, saying, “Do more. Get busy.” No, He’s saying, “Let Me guide you and lead you day by day.” That is why I encourage you to take time to seek Him each and every day in a quiet, solitary place. Like Moses, go to the mountain with tablet in hand and write down whatever He places on your heart. You won’t be burdened by His requests. You won’t get an ulcer. You won’t even sweat. Yours will be a beautiful ministry that will be rewarded eternally if you focus on the work He gives you to do.