MATTHEW 24:27-51 |
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MATTHEW 24:27-51 VI. THE NATURE OF THE SECOND COMING Jesus warns very clearly that these proclamations are false and should not be believed. The arrival of Jesus will be SUDDEN and SPECTACULAR like lightning flashing across the sky. There will be no doubt about WHEN and WHO it is that is coming.
The warning to NOT
listen to these false prophets who claim that the Messiah is here is followed
by a very clear and simple reason. There can be no mistake.
The second coming of
Jesus will be UNIVERSALLY visible like lightning flashing across the sky. Luke
records this at chapter 17:22-24.
The arrival of Jesus in
the clouds of the sky with power and great glory will be universally observed
and therefore INSTANTANEOUS. The flashing “from east to west” is not stressed in Luke’s record – “from one end of the sky to the other” – Lightning is not stationary, so SOME KIND of direction would naturally be expressed, whether it be from east to west, or from west to east. I suppose it can be argued whether this ARRIVAL will be viewed universally AT THE SAME TIME, or whether Jesus will appear at one point and then “parade” across the sky until all have seen Him. The problem with this second idea is that it is not JUST an east to west idea, but also, a north to south idea. Of course, one can claim that He will zig-zag all over the place until all have seen him, but this seems a bit inconsistent with the language in my opinion. I see it as an instantaneous appearance of Jesus in power and great glory so that EVERYONE will see Him at the same time, and immediately everyone will be challenged AT THE SAME TIME with the impact of His arrival. This seems impossible according to the laws of physics, but of course, the activities of God are not limited by these laws that He himself designed. The Bible is replete with miracles that transcend the laws of physics.
This can be explained by –
Not only that, but it
will be preceded by TWO unmistakable signs.
THE ALLEGORICAL “WHERE” At this time in Matthew’s account, Jesus makes a strange allegorical statement. “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”
This obviously has
something to do with WHERE Jesus will first appear, or where He will appear IN
GENERAL.
If we correlate this
“vulture” image with Matthew, then after the statement Jesus made concerning
His arrival as lightning flashing across the sky, and “SO shall the coming of
the Son of Man be” (Mat. 24:27), the disciples ask, WHERE? Luke’s placement of this “vulture” image is different. The order of the various segments recorded by Luke is not precise and how to understand that order is still a subject of controversy. This has been discussed in detail in the introduction.
Luke’s gospel record is
not chronologically precise when it comes to the general teaching and travels
of Jesus. His chronology is accurate as to the historical setting in relation
to the political contemporaries of the day.
At verse 37, after
recording that Jesus taught “one will be taken” (the believer), and “one will
be left” (the unbeliever), the disciples SUPPOSEDLY ask, “where?”
To restate, the question
the disciples asked occurred between Matthew 24:27 and 28. The question is
asked in reference to verse 27, “For just as the lightning comes from the
east, and flashes even to the west, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be.”
The question then occurs
as recorded at Luke 17:37a, “Where Lord?”
Remember that Luke is
just listing a variety of things that Jesus taught that are related to His
second coming. This question and answer do not belong here RIGHT AFTER Jesus
teaches that some will be taken and some left, as if to suggest that the
disciples are asking where they will be taken. Matthew records this statement
in connection with the coming of the Son of Man like lightning flashing across
the sky, but not in connection with the gathering of the elect (Mat.
24:27-28). So when the disciples ask this question, "Where," they are asking where will be the ARRIVAL of Jesus when He first appears? The answer Jesus gives is allegorical and does not give a precise location. This allegorical answer reflects a common image not only from Jewish culture as can be seen from the Old Testament (Job 39:30; Prov. 30:17), but from the laws of nature as well. What we need to determine is the significance of this image as Jesus relates it to His arrival at the Day of the Lord. It should be clear that those who are taken in the rapture, are not taken to a place where the vultures are eating a corpse. It is also clear that when Jesus arrives, as lightning that flashes across the sky (Matthew 24:27-28; Luke 17:24), at that time the gathering of His elect will occur, when "one will be taken and one will be left," (Luke 17:37). We also know that this event will take place immediately after the tribulation, which will be cut short from its expected 3 1/2-year duration by the sovereign decree of God the Father. The 3 1/2 year duration is "expected" because that is how long the beast's reign is. It is not his reign that is cut short, but his activity of "great tribulation" that is cut short. There are some who teach that the "one taken" is taken in judgment, and it is the believers who are left behind. However, EVEN IF this should be accepted as the right interpretation, it does not help us understand the allegory. Even if the wicked are taken in judgment, they are not taken to a place that can be described as a corpse being visited by the vultures. And in fact, as will be discussed later, they are not taken out of situations such as work sites and beds as is the case in Christ's description of this removal event. The disciples want a specific location, but Jesus gives His allegorical answer because there is no ONE specific location for His arrival. He will arrive in the clouds of the sky with power and great glory, and every eye will see Him. The LOCATION then, seems to be the EARTH in general. Evil has progressed through the advance of the mystery of lawlessness, and the earth is now filled with a DEAD BODY that needs to be removed by the vultures. When Jesus returns, it is to begin the removal of the DEAD BODY through the Day of the Lord judgments in preparation for His earthly Messianic kingdom. This SECOND COMING according to the prewrath perspective refers to Christ’s arrival in the clouds of the sky, at which time the Day of the Lord will begin and the rapture of the saints will occur. This is the second coming PROPER. His later descent to Megiddo at Armageddon is not the second coming, but an event that is part of the Day of the Lord judgments. This descent to the earth at Armageddon is NOT taught by Jesus or by the apostles in their letters. In the New Testament, it is only specifically mentioned in the Book of The Revelation. Every other place where the second coming is mentioned, it refers to either the initial moment of that arrival, or to one or more events that occur DURING His presence here. ADDITIONAL COMMENTS
1. Matthew and Luke are
in apparent conflict.
2. However, it is quite
unreasonable for this image to be used to answer a question as to “where the
TAKEN OUT ones will go,” as it APPEARS to do in Luke’s account. Even if, as
with the pre-trib camp, the “taken ones” refers to unbelievers being taken to
judgment, it still does not make sense, for at Armageddon there really is no
“taken in judgment.” There is simply a physical destruction (death) of those
who are assembled on the earth, and the vultures will eat up the dead bodies
afterwards. And at the separation of the sheep and the goats at Matthew
25:31ff, there is no one being taken from a work site or a bed. 4. Another option for this initial ARRIVAL LOCATION is Palestine, where the Beast has set up the abomination of desolation in the Holy Place. But this is a moot point IF the arrival constitutes a universal appearing, for if “every eye will see Him,” then it matters not WHERE He first appears. 5. Some have suggested that the use of this image identifies the location of Christ’s return as “on the mountains of Israel” (Ezek. 39:4, 17), and “on the open field” (Ezek. 39:5). In this case, it would certainly refer to the battle of Armageddon, although there is still controversy over that. This will be dealt with in more detail when I get to Matthew 24:29-30. IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TRIBULATION
Matthew 24:29a As already seen in connection with verse 22, the tribulation will be OFFICIALLY cut short from its expected duration by the sovereign decree of God the Father at some unknown day and hour (Matthew 24:36, 42-44) at least 5 months (Revelation 9:5) before the end of the 70th week. The end of the tribulation is not something that will be announced. It will simply be EVIDENCED by the signs in the sun, moon and stars. These signs are not a sign of the end of the tribulation, but a sign that the second coming of Christ is about to occur.
The end of the
tribulation will be realized by the FACT that the beast will suddenly be
totally distracted from furthering his persecution agenda against those who
don’t worship him. So when God the Father DECREES to cut short the tribulation, at that moment the signs in the sun, moon and stars will occur, which announce the arrival of Jesus at His second coming and the inception of the time PERIOD known as The Day of the Lord. It is at this arrival of Jesus in the clouds of the sky that the rapture will occur and the DAY OF THE LORD will begin. The events of the tribulation do NOT include either the trumpet or the bowl judgments, but both of these are expressions of God’s justice upon the kingdom of the beast after the tribulation has ended. THE SIGNS IN THE SUN, MOON AND STARS
Matthew 24:29 This is not describing any eclipse type event, but a supernatural act of God that literally and physically darkens the sun, moon and stars. The image of the stars falling from the sky describes the fact that light from these orbs will also be diminished. It could also include meteorites falling to the earth, which would “humanly speaking” explain the disappearance of the stars – although we know that the actual stars do not fall to the earth. This is the very same event that was prophesied in the Old Testament as occurring BEFORE the arrival of the Day of the Lord. Joel 2:30-31. “And I will display wonders in the sky and on the earth, blood, fire, and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.” The “blood moon” indicates a very dark red effect caused by the darkening of the sun. The moon of course does not have its OWN light, so this indicates just a slight reflection of light that will be barely discernable.
This establishes the
fact that the DAY OF THE LORD and the second coming of the Messiah are
basically the same event. And both will be preceded by these awesome things;
things of such a nature that they have not been seen before in the same
manner, and will therefore cause great panic, fear and sorrow in those who are
not prepared for the coming of Jesus. The phrase, “the powers of the heavens will be shaken” is a summary statement concerning the celestial disturbances that make it appear as though the heavenly orbs are DISAPPEARING. THE DAY OF THE LORD
The arrival of the Day
of the Lord is also described by Isaiah at chapter 13:6-13. All these prophecies point to the event that will occur at the SIXTH seal of Revelation 6:12-14. “And I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. And the sky was moved away like a scroll when it is rolled up; and every mountain and island was moved out of their places.” The sixth seal mentions the great earthquake described at Isaiah 13:13, while the other passages mention only that there will be great things happening on the earth. The fire and the columns of smoke mentioned by Joel will be caused by the meteorites hitting the earth and by the massive earthquakes and volcanic activity that will be felt around the world. The roaring of the sea will also be caused by the earthquakes producing tsunamis all around the world.
The statement, “and the
sky was moved away like a scroll when it is rolled up,” describes what Jesus
said about the powers of the heavens being shaken. This correlation with the sixth seal also indicates that the first 5 seals correlate with the events described in Matthew 24:9-28, and therefore occur during the tribulation.
Once we recognize that
Matthew 24:29 refers to the DAY OF THE LORD that is mentioned at Joel 2 and
the other places in the Old Testament, it is a simple and logical step to
recognize that when the apostles use this term, they are referring to the very
same event. See Topic: THE DAY OF THE LORD THE SIGN OF THE SON OF MAN Matthew 24:30a “And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn.”
Included in the signs
that the arrival of the Messiah and the Day of the Lord is about to occur, is
a more specific sign that is not mentioned anywhere else. That more specific
sign will be “the sign of the Son of Man.” All of these things will happen over a relatively small period of time, perhaps encompassing one entire day. This is determined by several things.
1. The nature of some of
these things is a matter of “cause and effect” rather than things that ALL
occur instantaneously. THE ISSUE OF TIMING
According to the parable
of the TREES (Luke 21:29-33; Mat. 24:24-36), Jesus taught that we can know
the SEASON when He will return, but we cannot know the day or the hour.
At Matthew 24:33, Jesus
said, “when you see all these things know that He is near – at the door.” Although Luke does not mention the tribulation events in chapter 21, I believe that the words Luke is quoting from Jesus refer to the season of the tribulation, in general, and to the SIGNS, specifically. I believe there is a delay between the SIGNS and the arrival of Jesus in the clouds of the sky. The term, “all these things” then, refers to those signs specifically, and the last half of the 70th week, generally. However, the term does not include the visible arrival of Jesus, which will occur some time AFTER those signs occur. Most of the rapture and second coming passages in the New Testament indicate that the gathering of the saints will occur immediately upon the arrival of Jesus in the clouds of the sky. Accordingly, when Jesus arrives, there is no TIME for the response described at Luke 21:28; “straighten up and look up.” The gathering will occur at the very instant that we see Him. THE RESPONSE OF THE UNBELIEVERS
It is AFTER the signs
and the sign of the Son of Man that we are told of the actions of the
unbelievers in attempting to escape “the things that are coming upon the
world,” (Luke 21:26). It is AFTER this response that they then see Jesus
coming on the clouds of the sky.
At the sixth seal, there
is no mention of the arrival of Jesus, just the occurrence of the signs in the
sky and on the earth. And as with Matthew and Luke, the response of the people
occurs after the occurrence of the signs. So at Revelation 6:16-17, when the
people panic and try to hide, it is in response to the SIGNS of Christ’s
arrival. The actual arrival will occur AFTER that response, thus, after
Revelation 6:17. The RESULT of Christ’s arrival is then described in
Revelation chapter 7.
To summarize:
Matthew 24:29-30 And the same order is given by Mark, without mentioning the reaction of the people.
Mark 13:24-26
Isaiah also recorded the
response of the unbelievers in view of the judgments that will come upon them
after the beginning of the day of the Lord. Isaiah 13:6-8.
However, until Jesus
actually comes back, there is opportunity for any of these unbelievers to
trust in Him as their Lord and Savior. Joel 2:31-32
Those who trust in Jesus
BEFORE He arrives, will be saved and be included in the group of saints who
will be raptured out from the earth. This can be designated as SALVATION
PREPARATION, and all who have thus trusted in Christ will realize the promise
of 1 Thessalonians 1:10, “Who delivers us from the wrath to come.”
There is no direct
mention of anyone being saved between the signs and the arrival of Jesus, but
the invitation of Joel 2:31 is certainly valid and applicable to all. And of
course there will be many converts after the rapture. The first to be saved
after the rapture will be the 144,000 Jewish bond servants of God as indicated
at Revelation 7:1-8.
And some are saved just
before the 7th trumpet judgment sounds.
Thus, after the Day of
the Lord judgments are completed, there will be a multitude of believers on
the earth who will go alive into the Messiah’s kingdom in their mortal bodies.
But first, the living unbelievers will be removed from the earth. THE RESPONSE OF BELIEVERS
After the signs that
announce the arrival of Jesus, but before He actually arrives in the clouds of
the sky with power and great glory, there will be a period of time during
which both unbelievers and believers will express their emotional responses.
Verse 4 Peter gives us the same exhortation at 2 Peter 3:10-18.
Verse 10
Throughout the Olivet Discourse, Jesus warned the believers several times to
be prepared and watchful. Strength to escape, refers to endurance during the specific time of tribulation which will begin at the mid-point of the 70th week. There will be intense pressure facing every Christian during this time, when the beast will be attempting to enforce his economic policies all over the world. Revelation 13:7, 17 describes the extent and nature of the beast's oppression of Christians. And "to stand before the Son of Man" refers to "not shrinking away from Him in shame at His appearing," as we saw at 1 John 2:28. The emphasis, in view of the amplification in the New Testament, is that the believer can stand before the Son either – PREPARED, that is, in fellowship with God (abiding in Him) and have initial great joy (Jude v. 24). OR The believer can stand before the Son – UNPREPARED, that is out of fellowship with God and experience great shame and remorse. This does not mean that the "out-of-fellowship" believer will be left behind at the rapture but simply that his initial reaction will be great shame and remorse. Later, at the justice seat of Christ where all his works as a Christian will be evaluated, he will suffer loss of reward for his times of unfaithfulness on earth. But he himself will be saved. 1 Corinthians 3:10-15. See Topic: Partial Rapture Theory
The
same warning to be prepared is given to the readers of the Book of Revelation. ("Behold, I am coming like a thief. Blessed is the one who stays awake and keeps his garments, lest he walk about naked and men see his shame.") This is addressed to the readers of the book of Revelation, both believers and unbelievers, to warn them of the event of the 6th seal that will begin the "end-times" judgments of the Day of the Lord. The phrase, "come like a thief," occurs only 5 times and always refers to the return of Jesus at the arrival of the Day of the Lord (1Thessalonians 5:2, 4; 2Peter 3:10; Revelation 3:3; Revelation 16:15). The use of this term originated based on the parable Jesus taught at Matthew 24:43-44
"But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what time of
the night the thief was coming, he would have been on the alert and would not
have allowed his house to be broken into. Believers will thus, be reminded of the urgency for testimonial consistency throughout their lives that they might not "be ashamed, and shrink away from him in fear at His presence," 1 John 2:28. Unbelievers will once again be reminded that if they are not spiritually prepared through salvation relationship with God, they will be left behind at the rapture and many of the men and women, if not killed by one plague or another, will end up as part of this troop movement into the Valley of Megiddo where they will face the sword of Jesus. At all times throughout history, God has been faithful to provide the information people need to enter into relationship with Him. This time of great judgment from God is no exception. The 144,000 "servants" of God are still present on the earth representing the truth of God to all who will hear. The message of these "servants" is found at Revelation 14:6-7 and is called, "an everlasting gospel." The quote from God at this point in the scenario, indicates not only, God's concern for His own people, that they be "prepared" through fellowship abiding with Him, but that He is still concerned for all who are willing to come so that all who "call upon the name of the Lord will be saved." When Jesus descends to the earth to face the nations at Armageddon, He will already have been present in the clouds for over five months, having come "in the clouds of the sky with power and great glory (Mat. 24:29-31; Rev. 6:12-14). AT this physical descent TO the earth, He will not come like a thief. It is true, that no one will know EXACTLY what hour or even day He will descend, but the judgments will have been on-going for over FIVE MONTHS already (Rev. 9:5), and an "any time" arrival is really not an issue at this point. The world will have ALREADY experienced the "signs in the sun, moon and stars," and SEEN the arrival of Jesus in the clouds. At that event of the 6th seal, the world will know that judgment is impending. Revelation 6:15-17 "And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, fall on us and hide us from the presence of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of their wrath has come; and who is able to stand?" However, prior to the arrival of Jesus in the clouds of the sky at the 6th seal, when many unbelievers will NOT be experiencing judgment, but instead will be facing the "peace and security" issues of association with the beast (1Thes. 5:3: Mat. 24:38-39), there will be no thought of the second coming of Jesus or of judgment. That is why this warning is placed here. It is given just before the vision tells about the FINAL judgment that comes in the Valley of Megiddo, and warns all who will listen that it is the second coming that will initiate the events leading up to it. Of course, for the beast-worshippers, who will already have taken the mark of the beast, their destiny in the lake of fire is irreversible. But for the many who will be experiencing only a TASTE of the benefits of beast worship, there is still a chance to trust in Christ and be saved.
Jesus gives the same warning at the close of the book of Revelation, exhorting
the readers to SALVATION PREPARATION. "Behold, I am coming quickly, and my reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done . . . And the Spirit and the Bride say, COME. And let the one who hears say COME. And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wants to, take the water of life freely." VII. THE ARRIVAL OF JESUS
Matthew 24:30c The hope of the apostolic church concerning Christ's second coming was founded in the very teachings of Jesus, Who made it perfectly clear that He was indeed going to come again and deliver His believing ones out from this world and take them to a heavenly home. There are some who believe that Jesus taught two second comings; one for His believers, and one for the nation of Israel. Such a distinction is found only in the academic maneuverings of these people rather than in the plain and simple language of Christ's words. By comparing passages from the Old Testament and the gospels, it can be shown that there is only ONE second coming, but that there are TWO phases to it. The first phase is the ARRIVAL phase, which is the appearing of Jesus in the clouds of the sky in power and great glory with the angels of God in attendance. From this initial event, several things occur which take place over a period of several months and culminate with the DESCENT phase, which is His physical descent to the earth onto the Mount of Olives to defeat the rebel armies of the world at the battle of Armageddon. A huge confusion exists because many view this physical descent to the mount of Olives to be the second advent in contrast to the coming of Jesus in the clouds, which is the ACTUAL second advent.
This passage describes
the one and only second coming of Jesus. Every time the Scripture mentions the
second coming, it refers to the one and same event that is prophesied here.
The second coming is the arrival of Jesus IN THE CLOUDS of the sky. There is absolutely no reason to interpret the second coming that Jesus mentioned at Matthew 10:23; 16:27; and 24:3, 30, 37, etc. as any different from the second coming He mentioned at John 14:1-3. For details see article: The Second Coming According to Jesus It is the very same second coming that the angel mentioned at Acts 1:11, and that Paul describes at Titus 2:13 as the HAPPY HOPE of the church. “looking for the happy hope and appearing of the glory of the great God and our Savior, Christ Jesus.” There are SIX factors associated with the second coming of Jesus.
The FIRST factor is that His return will be universally VISIBLE. Revelation
1:7 says that “every eye will see Him.” Matthew 24:30 implies EVERY, and with
Revelation 1:7, it is confirmed that this will be a VISIBLE arrival.
The SECOND factor is
that this arrival will be “on the clouds,” or as at Luke 21:27, “in a cloud,”
and at Acts 1:9-11, “a cloud.”
However, this is not the same
event that is shown to us at Daniel 7:13-14.
This event refers to the
ASCENSION and SESSION of Jesus to the right hand of the Father after His
40-day resurrection ministry. The dominion that is given to Him is ASSIGNED to
Him, but He will not begin to administrate that dominion until He actually
comes back and defeats His enemies through the Day-of-the-Lord judgments. The THIRD factor associated with the second coming of Jesus is that it will be with POWER. This indicates that He will intend to use great power to judge those who have rejected Him. This JUDGMENT aspect of His arrival is stated at 2Thes. 1:8; Jude 14; Matthew 16:27; and implied at Rev. 6:15-17.
The FOURTH factor
associated with the second coming of Jesus is that it will be WITH GLORY. Not
only will it be visible, but it will be SPECTACULAR so that there can be
absolutely no mistake that this is indeed the return of Jesus. Both “glory” factors are mentioned in the second-coming promise given at Titus 2:13. “the appearing of the glory of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ.”
The FIFTH factor
associated with the second coming is the presence of angels. The SIXTH factor associated wit the second coming is that it is at this time that Jesus will gather together His saints as He promised at John 14:1-3. VIII. THE RAPTURE: THE GATHERING OF THE SAINTS
Matthew 24:31
The gathering of the
saints is initiated by Jesus, but the actual physical mechanics will be
accomplished by the angels.
After the rapture, Jesus
will remain on the earth to administer the Day-of-the-Lord judgments.
This does not violate
the promise of 1Thes. 4:17, “and thus we shall always be with the Lord.” The
idea of “always with the Lord” refers to our STATUS and RELATIONSHIP. It does
not mean that we will be in His physical presence every minute of eternity. It
means that our eternal HOME will be with Him. Notice that according to John
14:1-3, the believers will have various dwelling places located “in My
Father’s house.”
The great trumpet is
directly associated with the gathering and resurrection of the saints. 1 Thes.
4:16
This trumpet is not the 7th trumpet of Revelation 11:7 and 15.
He
would have no knowledge of John's vision and the 7 trumpets. That is what will occur at the rapture. It is called THE trumpet of God at 1 Thessalonians 4:16, because it is at this time that he will "call" for the gathering of his people to meet Him in the clouds of the sky. Nor does it require the "actual" occurrence of one or two trumpet blasts before it, for the image in Paul's mind is simply focusing on the final blast which is the "call to assembly."
Even though God’s judgment will begin at the coming (parousia) of Christ the
7th trumpet will occur AFTER there has already been SIX previous expressions
of divine judgment (Rev. 11:14-15). It is the announcement of the 7 bowl
judgments, which are God’s final judgment on the earth before Christ begins
His kingdom reign on the earth. It is not a call to assembly.
The
saints will be gathered together from the earth and taken to heaven.
The
gathering will be first, in the sky as 1 Thes. 4:17 indicates. The language at
Matthew 24:31, “from the four winds,” indicates that believers from all over
the entire earth will be removed. It is then, at this time, after the gathering of the saints out from the earth, that the wrath of God and of the Lamb will begin to judge the beast and his kingdom. Those who are spiritually dead will be subject to horrendous physical judgments which will culminate in the battle of Armageddon where the corpses of the fallen soldiers will be food for the scavengers of the sky (Revelation 19:17-18). At Matthew 24, when the elect are gathered out INTO THE SKY, the non-elect remain on the earth to go through "the things which are coming upon the world," as Luke 21:26 indicates (parallel to Mat. 24). These Day of the Lord judgments begin and culminate in the land of Palestine, and as studied at verse 28, it is probably this that Jesus has in mind when he answers the disciples' question of "where," with "Wherever the corpse (body) is, there will the vultures be gathered." The corpse is the dying body of the beast and his kingdom which is centered in Jerusalem, and his destruction will become final 30 days after the end of the 70th week at the battle of Armageddon. However, before the judgments actually begin, the Lord will wait for the conversion of the 144,000 Jewish bond-servants, which is described at Rev. 7:1-8. IX. THE PARABLE OF THE TREES Also during the Olivet Discourse, Jesus used several parables to teach about His second coming. The first one is commonly designated as the parable of the fig tree, but that is an erroneous and misleading designation. The focus of this teaching is that the child of God can know the general season or time frame for Christ's return, but will not know the specific hour or even day.
Matthew 24:32 First of all it is important to realize that, according to Luke 21:29, the image in the parable is a group of trees, and not one particular tree type. Thus, the common idea that the fig tree serves as a symbol for the nation of Israel, and teaches that the generation that sees the fig tree (Israel) in bloom (I.e., back in the land), will be the generation that sees the return of Christ, is a misrepresentation of the parable and is not accurate. At Luke 21:29-30, we find:
And He told them a
parable: "Behold the fig tree and all the trees; Notice that it is the fig tree AND ALL THE TREES! The parable is not intended to refer to Israel as represented by a fig tree. The purpose of the parable is to teach about the signs of summer pointing to the return of Jesus. What then are the "signs" of summer? They are the events which begin at Matthew 24:9; the events of the tribulation which begin when the beast sets up his image and takes his stand in the temple. It is the generation that sees this "great tribulation" that will see the return of Christ.
Matthew 24:33 Any "symbol" must FIRST be understood literally and THEN determine how it relates to the spiritual truth being illustrated. The "image" that Jesus gives us at Matthew 24 and Luke 21 is a "natural" and "common" and yes, "literal" image that requires no associations beyond that "natural" image. Jesus said that JUST LIKE when you see leaves on the fig tree, indeed all the trees, you know that the season is about to change. THAT IS ALL THERE IS. Don't look at Israel. Don't look for anything other than the very "simple" and "natural" image that Jesus is placing before our eyes. There is no contextual reason to go beyond that. If we do, then we bring up something that He does not have in mind. What DOES He have in mind?
Here, we have to be very
careful to recognize that Jesus mentions “these things” two times and each
time it has a slightly different application. This is seen at Luke 21:25-31.
Nor does He have in mind the signs of verses 29-30 or the return of Christ and the gathering of the elect. Many months before those SIGNS occur, that generation will KNOW that the END-TIMES period has arrived. At that time the believers will certainly be more expectant than ever before, but they will not be looking up in the sky. The phrase “when you see all these things,” refers to the things that PRECEDE the return of Christ by several months. Since that return is mentioned in Matthew 24:30, and occurs in direct association with the cosmic signs in verse 29, the “things” must also precede those verses. Thus, it is the events that precede the cosmic signs that are the “signs of summer.” He is referring to the events of the tribulation which He described beginning at verse 9. Matthew 24:34, “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place.” For the believer who is oriented to prophetic teachings, the beginning of the 70th week will also be a sign post that the period of the “end times” has begun. However, there will still be several years from the point of time before Christ will return. So, not only does “right at the door” not apply at that point, but it is also not something that Jesus had taught about. But when the tribulation begins, it is then at that time, that His return could occur at any moment. Granted, there needs to be a span of time for Satan to initiate and further his Messianic agenda through the beast, but exactly how long that will be is a total unknown factor. It is thus that once the tribulation begins the return of Christ can be said to be imminent and not before.
Christ’s intent is NOT
to make the fig tree "represent" some nation.
1. leaves = summer is
near
The word generation here
refers to the people who are alive at that time. It is the group of people who are alive at the time of the tribulation who will witness the second coming of Christ. This does not give us a specific amount of time other than the normal duration of a generation. However, as we compare scripture with scripture, we learn that the tribulation cannot last longer than about 36 months. We know this because the judgment of the 6th trumpet alone will last 5 months (Rev. 9:5), and the time remaining for the duration of the 70th week is only 42 months. And the tribulation will end at the 6th seal, which will occur before any of the trumpet judgments even begin. THE VERACITY OF CHRIST’S TEACHINGS No matter what transpires on this earth or in heaven, these prophetic words of Jesus will not pass away.
Matthew 24:35 THE DAY AND HOUR FACTOR However, even though we will know, the general time frame for Christ's return, there is still the unknown factor of the day and the hour.
Matthew 24:36 It has already been established that the second coming mentioned in this passage is the one and only second coming and is the same second coming that is taught everywhere else in the New Testament. It does NOT refer to the physical descent of Jesus at the battle of Armageddon. That descent is NOT His second coming, but is an event that will occur at least 7 months after His second coming. Since God will CUT SHORT the tribulation from its expected duration of 42 months, and since there is no specific time given when He will do this, there is no way for us to know what day and hour it will occur. In fact at the time of Christ’s teaching, He Himself, in His humanity, was not even aware of when that would happen. And of course, the angels likewise were unaware. Only the Father had it all mapped out when He would initiate the second coming, just as Paul wrote at 1Timothy 6:15, “which He will reveal at His own time.” Thus, as already indicated, we have the often repeated exhortation to be ready. Such exhortation is addressed to both the church and the unbelievers. For unbelievers the issue of preparation will be trust in Jesus as the Messiah/Savior. For the believers, the exhortation is concerned about shame and sorrow in His presence (1 John 2:28). LIKE THE DAYS OF NOAH
During the general time
frame of the tribulation period, most unbelievers will be occupied with the
peace and safety provided for them through worshiping the beast. So secure will be their thinking, that Jesus describes the basic daily activity of these "beast worshipers" to be as it was in the days of Noah (Matthew 24:37-39).
"For the coming of the
Son of Man The point of comparison is the unexpectedness that resulted from an indifferent occupation with the normal activities of life. "For as in those days which were before the flood they were eating and drinking, they were marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so shall the coming of the Son of Man be." Everyone will be going about their lives happy and at peace, proclaiming "peace and safety" (1Thes. 5:3), then sudden destruction will come upon them. Neither Jesus nor Paul addresses the REASON for this false security. Jesus indicates that it is during the time of the tribulation that this will be an issue. Paul just indicates it is before the day of the Lord arrives, except in his second letter, he clearly relates it to the tribulation (2Thes. 1:6-7; 2:1-10) and the man of lawlessness. But we learn later that they will feel secure because they are enjoying the temporal economic benefits of beast worship.
It should be further
noted that the point of comparison here is not the idea that people
(unbelievers) are taken "all away," but that judgment comes when people are
occupied with material things. The verb, “took away” simply describes the
MECHANICS of the judgment. It is indeed, an over concentration on the idea of "took them all away" that has led many to think that Jesus does not have in view His return to gather the church (the rapture) but instead the gathering out of the wicked just before Jesus sets up His kingdom. In the Noah generation the “took them all away” factor simply describes HOW the judgment was carried out. In the second coming generation, the judgment will be carried out on those who are left behind via the trumpet and bowls of Revelation. The subject of the entire context is the gathering OUT of His "elect" in a supernatural manner, and not the removal of unbelievers. And there is only one time when that happens - at the beginning of the Day of the Lord via the rapture of the church. Paul refers to this judgment on the unbelievers as "sudden destruction" at 1 Thessalonians 5, and he has in mind the Day of the Lord judgments which will be poured out on the world very shortly after Jesus removes His people from the earth through the rapture. This is not a warning to believers, but is teaching that gives believers orientation to what it will be like just before Christ returns. As we have seen before, believers are secure in their salvation, but can be out of fellowship with God. But the issue here is SALVATION PREPARATION. And the only way to be prepared for the return of Christ and NOT be left behind is to fulfill Joel 2:31, “whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” And Revelation 22:17, “and let the one who wants take the water of life freely.”
In Matthew 24:40-41, the uniqueness of the rapture is described as,
Then there shall be two
men in the field; Some have stated that this refers to the unbeliever being taken away in judgment. It is suggested that this will occur at Matthew 25:31. However, the gathering of the nations after Armageddon is NOT what happens at the “one taken-one left” event. At Matthew 25:31, ALL are gathered and then separated after evaluation. Here, one is supernaturally REMOVED from the presence of the other, and the other remains behind – at the mill, in the field or in the bed. Another point of confusion about WHO is taken, results from a failure to understand that the word TAKEN at verse 39 is different from the word TAKEN at verse 40, and refers to two different ideas. At verse 39, the Greek word for taken, is airo and means to carry away, remove or to lift up. The idea is clearly one of judgment as is indicated at Luke 17:27, where the word DESTROYED is used instead of taken.
However, at verse 40,
the word taken, is paralambano, and means to receive or take to the side of
someone. This is the word used at John 14:1-3, where the promise of being
gathered to Jesus is given to the disciples. When they hear Him teach in the
upper room about His coming to take them to Himself, they should be reminded
of what He taught just a few days before about "one taken and one left." At
Matthew 24:40, the ones who are taken are the believers, the elect, who are
said to be gathered at verse 31. The ones who are left behind are the
unbelievers who must face the sudden destruction of the Day of the Lord
judgments that come from the wrath of God and of the Lamb (1 Thes. 5:3; 2 Thes.
1:6-8; Rev. 6:16-17). This description is intended to explain the “gathering together of the elect” at verse 31. The elect are gathered OUT from the earth and INTO the sky. They are not taken to some other location on the earth. Furthermore, it is a supernatural gathering or TAKING, and not something that can be explained or understood as a natural occurrence. That is why Jesus gives the three examples that He does (Luke 17:34 adds the third example of two people being in one bed). They illustrate the supernatural nature of this separation. There will be two people working side by side. One will be taken out from the earth and the other will be left behind. There will be two people (not two MEN) in one bed. One will be taken out from the earth and the other one will be left behind.
The issue here is not WHERE
these people are, but simply the fact that there will be a sudden, visible and
supernatural disappearance of believers away from the unbelievers.
X. THE RAPTURE DESCRIBED During the months of the tribulation, in the areas of the world that are not directly under the control of the beast, it will be an environment that is in a extreme deprivation situation because of the beast’s economic controls. But still, life goes on and people will need to interact within their respective societies. Work, sleep and survival will be the focus of everyone's activities. In these situations, there will be believers and unbelievers, side by side, who will suddenly be separated by the gathering out of the believers through the rapture.
This also indicates that
there will be some parts of the world that are not directly governed by the
beast’s authority, although he has been given that authority (Rev. 13:5-7) for
42 months. It simply means that full implementation of beast worship will not
occur by the time that the Lord returns. That is in fact, what the cutting
short of the tribulation indicates; so that there will still be non-beast
worshippers alive at that time.
There are only two other
places where the rapture event is actually described.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17
Matthew 24:42
Here we have the first
stated warning that urges preparation. XI. TWO PARABLES Jesus then gives two illustrations of preparedness to encourage the hearers to be ready. The first one is a simple point of moral logic. At Matthew 24:43,
"But be sure of this,
that if the head of the house
The moral principle
supports personal defense in protecting your property and family from criminal
intrusion. It is not consistent for Jesus to use such an illustration if He
did not approve of the moral principle that the illustration revolves around.
How can a member of the
human race be ready for the arrival of Jesus?
Verse 44 This does not mean that Jesus will come AT NIGHT. The nighttime is simply the context for this particular illustration. In actuality, His arrival in the clouds of the sky will be universally visible, and therefore be seen simultaneously in all time zones. In fact, as seen above, there will be some people who will be at their work locations when He arrives.
PARABLE OF THE FAITHFUL
STEWARD It appears that Jesus taught this parable earlier to the disciples and to a gathering of the people. Luke records it at Luke 12:40-46 and adds a few additional details. The question the disciples ask at verse 41 indicates that there are more people present than just the disciples. Another choice is to suggest that while Jesus is teaching the Olivet Discourse to the disciples, a group of other people gather and sit down to listen as well. This would be consistent with my belief that Luke took portions of what Jesus taught and intermingled them throughout his gospel record, arranged by topic and not by chronological order. Matthew does not mention that there are other people gathered, but that in itself does not militate against my suggestion. The people were always following and flocking around Jesus, even sometimes when He tried to get away to be alone. In addition to that, the nature of His instruction goes beyond the disciples and is addressed to unbelievers as well. I really don’t care for the idea that Jesus taught the same things in the same order on two or more different occasions. After teaching the people the parable of self defense at Luke 12:39 and Matthew 24:43, Jesus repeats the exhortation for preparedness.
Verse 40 (Matthew 24:44) Once again, this is addressed to all members of the human race and exhorts preparation for Christ's return. Being ready refers to having a salvation relationship with God through personal trust in Jesus as one's Savior. Luke 12:41
And Peter said, "Lord,
are You addressing this parable to us, Peter recognizes the general application of Jesus' teaching here, so asks for clarification since there were many other people gathered around listening to the teaching. Does this exhortation apply to all people or just to the disciples? Jesus answers this by giving another parable (Verses 42-46), in which it is clearly stated that the consequence for not being prepared is total rejection and dismissal to the place of the un-believing (apistos). Luke 12:46 "The master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect {him,} and at an hour he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and assign him a place with the unbelievers." The ONE spiritual lesson of this parable is that at the return of Jesus, there will be some who are accepted and some who are rejected. Beyond this, it is not wise to find too many other spiritual correlations to the many embellishments in the story. I have already referenced and discussed the doctrine of salvation security and need only to remind the reader here, that it is impossible for a person who has been saved by God and is being held in God's grasp to ever lose his salvation. The unprepared servant here is clearly one who has not trusted in Jesus as the Messiah/Savior, has no relationship with God, and will be totally rejected at the return of Jesus for His elect.
There are some who think
that this parable should be applied to believers only, and that the faithful
slave is the believer in fellowship, and the unfaithful slave, the believer
out of fellowship. The obvious focus in this parable is rejection of the
unfaithful slave when Jesus returns. The believer, no matter whether he is in
or out of fellowship with God will be gathered unto the Lord at His return,
and the language of total rejection that occurs in this parable, cannot refer
to any believer at that time. Part of the total rejection language in this
parable is an assignment to the place of the hypocrite (Matthew 24:51) and the
unbeliever (Luke 12:46). The placement of the believer anywhere but "My
Father's house (John 14:1-3)," at Christ's return is contrary to Scripture.
Luke 12:42
And the Lord said, "Who
then is the faithful and sensible steward, The illustration pictures the human race in general, all of whom have creature responsibility to the Creator and are accountable to Him for having a right relationship with Him through faith in the Messiah. The servant who is faithful is one who has trusted in Jesus Christ as the Messiah/Savior. Luke 12:43-44
Blessed is that slave
whom his master finds so doing when he comes. The language in the parable is symbolic of what happens when Jesus returns. It refers to the blessing of being with Christ, and should not be taken as some kind of literal assignment of responsibility. When Jesus returns, all who have trusted in Him will be gathered out of the earth, taken to heaven, and enter into eternal peace. Luke 12:45
But if that slave says
in his heart, This refers to a person, who in creature arrogance, ignores the Creator's call upon his life and chooses not to trust in Christ as the Savior. But instead, lives in the self-centeredness of his sin nature, indulging his pleasure lusts and oppressing others. The "long time in coming" phrase reminds us of what Peter wrote at 2 Peter 3:3-4.
Know this first of all,
that in the last days mockers will come Luke 12:46
The master of that slave
will come on a day When Jesus comes back to this earth at the Day of the Lord, He will come as a thief in the night (1 Thes. 5:2; 2 Peter 3:10; Rev. 3:3; 16:15), unexpectedly (suddenly) and without warning to the unbelieving world (1 Thes. 5:3; Luke 21:34). For that matter, it is even possible for believers to be unprepared through carnality and be caught of guard (1 Thes. 5:4-11; Luke 21:34-36). However, all believers will be taken out, and only the unbelievers will remain to undergo the Day of the Lord judgments, and ultimately end up in the lake of fire unless they change their mind and believe in Christ during the period between the rapture and Armageddon. Paul mentions both aspects of judgment at 2 Thessalonians 1:6-9. At verse 6, "repay with affliction" refers to the Day of the Lord judgments (the wrath of God) administered to the unbelievers on the earth. At verse 9, "the penalty of eternal ruin," refers to the last judgment which assigns the unbelievers to the lake of fire (Revelation 20:11-15). When Jesus returns the unbeliever will be rejected by Him and remain on the earth. This rejection is communicated in the parable by the phrase, cut him in pieces. This is a difficult statement. The Greek MEANS to cut something into two parts, however, based on context here, it seems to be idiomatic for scourging. Cut into two pieces would imply physical death, and if that were the case, then for this slave (in this normal human context), the fact that he would then be assigned to the place of the unbeliever (hypocrite at Matthew 24:51), would be quite meaningless. In addition, in the Luke passage, the fact that we have this category of disobedient slave divided into two types, who each receive different lashes from the whip, would indicate that the idea of "cut him in pieces" refers to a scourging (flogging) rather than physical death. We do not have 3 different categories of faithless humanity here. We have only two and both will be "cut in pieces" when the master returns. However, if upon or after being cut in pieces, they are then assigned LASHES based on their respective awareness of God's demands upon them, then the idea of death associated with "cut in pieces," is not valid. Thus, it seems more reasonable that the term refers to the idea of scourging or flogging that really CUTS into the skin and peels it away from the body. The immediate problem with this is that we have no other place where the term is used in our literature (except at Exodus 29:17 in the LXX), and it is used quite consistently in secular literature for the practice of using sword or saw to cut someone in half. But I think that the context is stronger and I will interpret the phrase, "cut him in pieces," as the idea of a serious scourging. After being rejected by Jesus at His return, the unbeliever is assigned to the place of the unfaithful hypocrite, (Matthew). He does not go immediately to that place, but is simply assigned to it. The final placement in the lake of fire will not occur until the last judgment, and although he will be rejected at the Day of the Lord return of Jesus, he will still have occasion to trust in Christ up until the battle of Armageddon. After that, all unbelievers will be removed from the earth and placed in Hades, in the place of torments as per the story at Luke 16:19-31. So sometime after the experience of flogging (judgment on the earth), the unbeliever will be assigned to the place of the unfaithful hypocrite (torments in Hades), and at that place there will be "weeping and gnashing of teeth." This image simply communicates the extreme sorrow, anger and frustration at what the person is experiencing in this place of judgment. The phrase, "weeping and gnashing of teeth," only occurs 7 times in the Bible and always in connection with the final disposition of the wicked when he has been cast into the gehenna of fire (Matthew 8:12; 13:42; 13:50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Luke 13:28). In verses 47-48, we have an amplification of the punishment of being "cut in pieces" (scourging) based on personal knowledge of one's responsibility to God. This passage has been used to teach that there are degrees of punishment in hell, and on the surface, this seems to suggest that. However, the key is to recognize that the PRIMARY theme or lesson of this parable is that of acceptance or rejection by the Messiah at the Day of the Lord, and that eternal destiny is not even in view. At the same time, it is difficult to determine the significance of these two very clear distinctions in punishment, which cannot be dismissed from the parable as an insignificant embellishment. There will be two types of unbeliever left behind at the day of the Lord return of Jesus. (1) The one who was fully aware of what God expected of him, and (2) the one who did not know what God expected of him. Luke 12:47
"And that slave who knew
his master's will This clearly indicates the administration of a more severe punishment upon the one who is blatantly rebellious against God. It seems that these different degrees of punishment take place at the return of the Lord rather than at some time subsequent to that return. The puzzle is, that one cannot advance much upon being left behind at the rapture. What then would be the significance of more lashes vs. fewer lashes?
The reason for this
difference is stated at verse 48b as the principle of greater accountability.
That is, the person who knows more of God's will for their life, is more
accountable to God for failure, than is the one who knows less. I suggest that
in this parable, the principle revolves around the gospel message. The
doctrine of evangelism teaches that God reveals himself through the physical
creation so that people can become aware of His existence; His eternal power
and divinity (Romans 1:19-20). The one who accepts this NATURAL revelation about God and begins to seek for Him will be given the specific gospel information about the Messiah's salvation provision. This person will be held accountable for accepting or rejecting the specific gospel message of "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved" (Acts 16:31). However, if at the point of God consciousness, a person rejects the NATURAL revelation about God as seen in the physical universe, then God will have no obligation to give to that person the specifics of the gospel message. This person will be held accountable for his rejection (without excuse, Romans 1:20), and still be judged as an unbeliever, but the divine indictment will be less severe in that he did not PERSONALLY reject Jesus as the Christ. This is taught by Jesus at Matthew 11:20-24.
Then He began to
reproach the cities in which most of His miracles The performance of MIRACLES mentioned in this discourse refers to the visible manifestation of Jesus as the Messiah and indicates that greater revelation was given to Christ's generation than to the former generations mentioned. The unbelievers of both generations will be held accountable for their unbelief and both will be assigned to the lake of fire, but the former will receive a less severe indictment at the last judgment. The question is, does this "more tolerable" idea refer simply to the initial rebuke at the great white throne, or to the actual degree of eternal ruin (2 Thes. 1:9) in the lake of fire (Rev. 20:15)? Where is the PUNCH? What is the significance of this warning by Jesus to the people of His generation, IF they simply receive a more severe verbal rebuke at the last judgment, BUT, share equally the torment in the lake of fire (Rev. 14:10-11; 20:10, 15)? It is very possible that the "punch" is the fact that the soul of the unbeliever is going to be more sad and miserable in view of HAVING KNOWN what was expected of him. Whereas, the unbeliever who did not know will be less disturbed at the Day of the Lord. HOWEVER, It might be more reasonable to think that the ignorant unbeliever would be MORE frustrated, angry and miserable, since the suffering he is in for was UNEXPECTED. The unbeliever who did know will also realize that the suffering he is going through was well proclaimed to him during is life on earth. Luke 12:48a
but the one who did not
know {it,} Again, we can clearly see that a less severe punishment is administered upon the one who is rebellious against God, but who does so ignorantly, that is, without a full understanding of his obligation to the Creator. This is the one who has become aware of God via God Consciousness type revelation, but has not expressed interest in the Creator enough to elicit from God the proclamation of the gospel to that person. Luke 12:48b
And from everyone who
has been given much shall much be required; This refers to the one who has been taught the gospel and has rejected it. He is held more accountable and will receive a more severe indictment such as Jesus mentioned in Matthew 11:20-24. Another occasion is found at Luke 17:20-37, where the Pharisees inquire about the coming of the kingdom of God. This of course, completes the chapter, but not the discourse. Jesus taught three additional parables which are recorded in Matthew chapter 25. | ||
©Ron Wallace, http://www.biblefragrances.com.
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