Matthew Chapter 24 Verses 15 – 16

• We know that this is the midpoint of the Great Tribulation in accordance with Daniel 9:27, and 12:11…also mentioned in Daniel 11:31. I believe the actual event is given in 2 Thessalonians 2: 3-4…

Matthew Chapter 24 Verses 17 – 22

• He is speaking quite locally here. Fields, housetops, Sabbath, flee..surely it’s not the whole world because then it would not be fleeing at all but rather swapping places…and Jesus says that at that time it will be so horrible on earth, worse, far worse than anything that has ever come upon the earth > and somehow that even counts the flood > you can read about what will transpire in Revelation Chapters 6 – 19, and He mentions the elect here, and that may confuse you…but remember, elect is a word used to describe three types of people in the Bible. Christians, Jews and Tribulation saints…there will be few but some that do come to faith during the Great Tribulation…but the rapture is already past…

Matthew Chapter 24 Verses 23 – 26

• And here comes the single THE sign of Jesus’ return, His second coming…

Matthew Chapter 24 Verses 27 – 28

• The unmistakable sign of the second coming of Jesus to the earth. Not in the desert, not hidden until adulthood again, nothing like what these false Jesus’ say and emerge as today…like lightning…and there’s more…

Matthew Chapter 24 Verse 29

• (Now we are into Revelation Chapter 19…) The world will be in complete craziness and NO ONE will miss the second coming of Jesus, BUT this is SO IMPORTANT…look at the response of the earth…

Matthew Chapter 24 Verse 30

• Why would the church mourn? Why would the people filled with the Holy Spirit…having awaited the Great Tribulation to end…why would they mourn!? It’s a trick question to make a point. There is NO WAY the church would mourn the coming of Jesus! They would shout for joy! But even Revelation says that the people of the earth cry out for the rocks to fall on them to hide them from Jesus at His return. What’s my point…THEY’RE gone…or more accurately, they are with Jesus, the church…the power of God unto salvation, descending to the earth! Watch this…

Matthew Chapter 24 Verse 31

• Where are the elect? One end of HEAVEN to another…so very encouraging, comforting and clear! But wait, you might say, doesn’t Jesus also mention the four winds? Yes and I love this because Mark gives us a little more light…he says, “He will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest part of the earth to the farthest part of heaven…” This is not a second rapture, it’s not that word harpazo…this is a gathering. Read Revelation 19, the world gathers against God, and God does some gathering Himself…My opinion, church, meet my elect, the Jews…Jews, meet the church and Romans 11 will fulfill finally in this moment…
• So it’s then, at that time, the elect on earth are gathered…the Jews and the Tribulation saints, the fellow believers of the ones that cried out from under the alter all the way back in Revelation Chapter 6, remember that scene beginning in verse 9 of Chapter 6 of the Book of Revelation where John saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held to…and they were crying out saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” Remember that scene? Well now that time has come and those that suffered murder for their faith during the Great Tribulation, the brothers and sisters of those crying out from under the altar, Jesus gathers them together with us and makes His grand entrance!

Matthew Chapter 24 Verses 32 – 35

• Understand, the fig tree is a symbol of the Jewish nation. Joel 1:7, God calls Israel the fig tree; Hosea 9:10 also refers to Israel as the fig tree; and you’ll also find this reference in Jeremiah 24:5. And so Jesus is saying to us, not to them, (because Israel already was), Jesus is saying to some future generation, when you see the fig tree…the end is near! Even at the door! What does that mean? DING-DONG!!! This generation will see all of these things!
• WHAT!? Listen, let me explain…70 years ago this scripture was an absolute mystery…people were growing fig trees and asking them, “Are you tender, little fella!” HA! But a prophecy was given in Ezekiel 37 and the same prophecy was given in Zechariah 10…that God promised that the nation of Israel would return. A people scattered. A language lost. A land forgotten…but then, in a night, the nation was reborn. March 14^th, 1948 the fig tree, the nation of Israel, miraculously returned. Never before seen on earth…a nation lost being reborn…and yet the impossible happened, just like God said it would…
• And Jesus says here, assuredly – by no means will the generation that sees that event pass away until all these things take place! Now, how long is a generation? So much argument on that…but here’s what it is not…a long time! HA!!! And so the rapture, the Great Tribulation, the second coming of Jesus…DING DONG! - Honey, check the cameras, who’s at the door! HA!!!
• And just notice the importance of God’s Word!!! “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away!” The Word of God is SO important! Psalm 138:2, “You have magnified Your word above all Your name!!” We HAVE to know God’s Word…if you don’t know how to study talk to me. If you don’t have a bible, talk to me. If you’re looking for a group, talk to me! If you don’t want to study…see me after class! HA! Nothing more important than getting the Word of God seeded and concreted within your heart. NOTHING.

Matthew Chapter 24 Verses 36 – 42

• Now what is Jesus talking about? His second coming or the rapture? That’s actually not a difficult question to answer. It would be biblically impossible to accept that Jesus is speaking about His second coming rather than the rapture because (just to cite one example) Daniel 12 tells us that the end will come 1,290 days after the abomination of desolation. 3.5 years exactly…Also, verse 38 doesn’t align with the scene of the Great Tribulation in terms of eating and drinking…food will be an issue. Revelation 6:6 speaks of just one loaf of bread costing a day’s wage…and so Jesus is speaking of His coming in the clouds…and one will be taken, one will be left…which are you?
• And I love this…we don’t know the day of the hour but we can surely WATCH! 1 Thessalonians 5 says we can know the season…that it shouldn’t overtake us like a thief in the night…it is, it can, it should be obvious to us…and we can be entirely READY for Jesus to make us take off Iron Man style from this fallen sewer, straight to heaven! I BELIEVE I CAN FLY!!! HA!

Matthew Chapter 24 Verses 43 – 47

• Faithful and wise…? Be ready! Be taking care of your calling, your business today all unto the Lord!! And notice, Jesus speaks of provinces, assignments and responsibility when? AFTER THE RAPTURE and into eternity!!!

Matthew Chapter 24 Verse 48

• See this! Notice this! To think and to spread that God’s coming is far off is described clearly here in the words of Jesus as EVIL! And why is it evil!? Because it’s bad?…not so much…but because of what it does in your own heart of hearts…LOOK!!

Matthew Chapter 24 Verse 49

• Living like Jesus is sleeping makes you an absolute cold hearted snake! Thank you Paula! HA! You harden, you stiffen, your hope in heaven dries up and becomes a thought associated with only death and so hope’s gotta go somewhere so it goes into this world and is lost in the spirit of supply and demand and survival of the fittest! Beating people around you and losing your mind. Look…Living in constant, biblical expectation of Jesus’ return will do nothing but good for you and those around you! That will keep you sober, humble and gentle at heart…strengthened even in the midst of peril…or deny the truth of God and the efficacy of His Word…then this…

Matthew Chapter 24 Verses 50 – 51

• Guzik says, “The most dangerous lie is not “there is no God” or “there is no hell,” but rather the most awful and dangerous and damaging lie of all of life is “there is no hurry…” If the enemy can’t have your soul then he’ll settle for your day, for your church, for your family, for your marriage, for your joy…don’t let him have a toe…believe and turn, man, that God may bring a life of refreshing – because truly, verily, assuredly, His coming is at hand – even at the door!!!