Matthew 24:25-51

²⁵ Behold, I have told you before.

As I was going back over to see where I left off, I read verse 25 was the last verse from the study I did last time…..and as I saw this a thought hit my heart to include that verse again in this study today… and I rapidly decided not too. BUT THEN… when I put the title on this page I included it by “mistake” and at that point I decided there is a reason for that… and the reason is… because the Lord wants us to be aware of all the signs… he’s telling us BEFORE so we can all be ready and not taken by surprise. In a time of global crisis, hope will be in short supply…. because hope is something that is complicated to build when things are coming down on you. Hope needs a foundation before the crisis.

²⁶ Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.

Settle this now, YOU WILL NOT HAVE TO GO OUT TO MEET JESUS ANYWHERE. When Jesus returns, you will not be able to miss him. As a Christian, he will be coming to gather you to him… not the other way around. The following verse is when Jesus gathers all of us together at the last trumpet…and by last, I mean last of the 7 trumpets in Revelation, this is the second coming and….there is no pre-tribulation rapture as some falsely believe. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18¹⁶ For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:¹⁷ Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.¹⁸ Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

²⁷ For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

The return of Jesus is going to be hard to miss. There are a lot of teachings that needs to go here… like the fact that these events occurs at the end of the 7 seals and 7 trumpets of the book of Revelation. After these signs and the gathering of the Christians (verse 31), judgment falls on the earth as the vial/bowl judgments are poured out on the earth. The only ones on the earth receiving these judgments are the ones who completely rejected Jesus. Just remember, Jesus is coming for you…. you do not need to go to him.

²⁸ For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.

Note: This is my opinion and I wait on the Lord for clarity… but I think this verse has to do with everyone (Saints will be with Jesus and sinners on the ground with the antichrist) gathering at the battle of Armageddon. I believe that because of where this verse is placed and the events that are going to occur at that time. Also, Revelation 19:17 ¹⁷ And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;—–
In the next verse this refers to the bowl judgments in Revelation.

²⁹ Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:

³⁰ And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.

Jesus the CLOUD RIDER… like when Jesus was in the cloud leading the children of Israel through the dessert.

³¹ And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

³² Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh:

³³ So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.

Jesus wants us to be aware of his return and he wants us to know the signs. I know of 4 reasons why many Christians today don’t bother reading Revelation or deeply studying these text.
1. Fear. They are scared. (Fear is a killer of Faith… remember Psalms 23… I will fear no evil, thy rod and thy staff comfort me. The rod and staff of the Lord are what guide us in truth and teach us of the ways of the Lord…. because there is faith in the word, so knowing the word combats the fear of the unknown.)
2. Because there were times when Christians thought the end was coming and were very focused on Revelation and end times so intensely, it became obsessive. At the same time, people weren’t studying and growing in other areas of their walks with God and became unbalanced in their walks with the Lord. So, people overcorrect and completely ignore end times, thereby ending up in the ditch on the other side of the road. 2 Timothy 3:16-17¹⁶ All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:¹⁷ That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works.
3. People believe it is too complicated to understand. –The solution is to read it like a child…get rid of all the preconceived ideas you have about it and read it…rightly dividing the word of truth… look into some of the many teachers who are teaching sound doctrine on this topic.
4. People believe they will be raptured out of here and won’t need to know any of this.—there is no pre-tribulation rapture.

³⁴ Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.

³⁵ Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.

³⁶ But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

I’ve heard people use this as an argument for dismissing the signs of the coming of Jesus. For example, when someone says that “Jesus is coming soon, the signs of his return are being revealed”… someone else may say, “no man knows the time when the Lord is coming back.” This chapter is here giving the signs of the time… and then it says that when the fig tree grows the tender branches and starts to put out new leaves, you know that summer is near (verse 32). The lord is showing us the season of his return…. he even says that “This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” in verse 34. The Lord is showing us the season of his coming, but not the exact moment. We are to be aware of the season, but the exact minute will be a surprise.

³⁷ But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

³⁸ For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark,

³⁹ And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

⁴⁰ Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

⁴¹ Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

⁴² Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

⁴³ 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.

⁴⁴ Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.

NEVER let your guard down… never say, “Jesus isn’t coming anytime soon” and begin to live in the world again. Stay faithful to the Lord always.

⁴⁵ Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?

⁴⁶ Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

⁴⁷ Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.

⁴⁸ But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;

⁴⁹ And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;

⁵⁰ The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,

⁵¹ And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

The word says that this generation shall not pass away… so that means when the signs begin, the end will happen in that generation. I think we are going to see events line up that will set the stage for the fulfillment of the events of the 7 years of tribulation to happen. We will see those things happening before the 7 years begin… I think we are in that time now. None of us are going to know when the clock begins on the 7 years…and we won’t know when the end of that time is going to happen. What we do know is to watch for the signs, know that the season is near for these things, and stay faithful to the end.