The signs of the 'End of Times'.....

reddogs · pseudo 7th-day Adventist Joined: 28 Dec 2006 Posts: 14

The Order of the End of Time for the World as given in the New Testament by Christ:

1- The 7 Signs announcing the Antichrist: Matt.24:4-14.
- Coming of the Antichrist and His works...
2- Abomination of Desolation: Matt.24:15-20.
3- The Great Tribulation: Matt.24:21-24.
- Coming of Christ and His Works:
4- The Second Coming of Christ: Matt.24:29-41.
- He will gather the "elect": Matt.24:31
- Like in the times of Noah: Matt.24:36-39.
- The Last Judgment or the General Judgment: Matt.25:31-46...

The Structure of Matthew 24:4-31

This exact same pattern is developed in Matthew 24:4-31. First, a general overview is given. Then a specific look at the persecution of the saints is detailed. The persecution will be cut short (the beast’s destruction). The promise of the Lord’s return to gather the saints rounds out this section of Matthew’s gospel.

The general overview is given first. Matthew 24:4-14 states,

And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that no one misleads you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars; see that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes. But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. Then they will deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations on account of My name. And at that time many will fall away and will deliver up one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise, and will mislead many. And because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. But the one who endures to the end, he shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations, and then the end shall come.

That Matthew 24:4-14 is a general overview of the end times is discernable from the following facts. First, the disciples’ initial questions set the agenda. Matthew 24:3 states that the disciples asked "when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming and of the end of the age?" It is very important that the reader recognize that two questions are asked and the second question has two parts. The first question concerns the destruction of Jerusalem. The second two-part question concerns the Lord’s return and the end of the age. Equally important is the recognition that the Lord answers the questions is reverse order. In other words, the Lord answers the question, "what will be the sign of the end of the age," first. The appearance of the term end in Matthew 24:6, 13 and 14 proves this point conclusively.

The Lord’s use of the birth sequence underscores his emphasis in Matthew 24:4-14 on the end of the age. Matthew 24:4-8 emphasizes the beginning birth pangs. This supports our conclusion that the Lord is not giving an overview of the entire time from his departure to His Second Coming, but rather the final years that immediately precedes his return. "Beginning birth pangs" are associated with the birth of the baby and not the nine months of pregnancy. Matthew 24:9-14 focuses on the hard labor that follows the beginning birth pangs. The Greek term thlipsis (tribulation) is used to describe the suffering of a woman about to give birth (John 16:21). As with a baby, the "one who endures to the end (of the age), it is he who shall be saved (delivered)."

The final factor that supports the conclusion that Matthew 24:4-14 covers the entire end-time sequences concerns the phrase, "this gospel of the kingdom." The phrase has been incorrectly interpreted to refer to the gospel of Christ. That is, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ outlined by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:1-11. However, the Lord did not begin proclaiming the good news of His death, burial and resurrection until two plus years of ministry (Matt 16:21-23) had passed. In contrast, Matthew reports that the Lord began preaching the "gospel of the kingdom of God" in the very early days of His earthly ministry (Matt 4:23). The gospel of the kingdom concerns God’s physical reign on earth and His removal of the wicked, which was initiated by the Lord’s ministry on earth (Mark 1:15, Luke 8:21, Luke 11:20). The worldwide proclamation of this message signals the end of the age (Rev 14:6-7).

The general overview of the end times (Matthew 24:4-14) is followed by a focus on the persecution of the saints in Matthew 24:15-24. It states,

Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains; let him who is on the housetop not go down to get the things out that are in his house; and let him who is in the field not turn back to get his cloak. But woe to those who are with child and to those who nurse babes in those days! But pray that your flight may not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath; for then there will be a great tribulation, such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever shall. And unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect those days shall be cut short. Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.

Matthew 24:15-24 covers the same period as Matthew 24:9-14, which is a very important point to remember. This same pattern occurs in the seventh chapter of Daniel. First the general overview and then comes the specific focus on the persecution. What is called tribulation in Matthew 24:9 is described as a great tribulation in Matthew 24:21. However, Matthew 24:15-24 focuses more on the unparalleled persecution the saints will face during this time. The third aspect of the end time sequence concerns the destruction of the beast. The Lord Jesus indicates that the days of tribulation will be cut short (Matt 24:22). He does not elaborate on this point, but a shortened tribulation means the end of the beast’s opportunity to persecute.

The final portion of Matthew 24:4-31 i.e. verses 25-31, deal with the return of Christ, which answers the question, "what will be the sign of Your coming," asked by the disciples. Notice,

Behold, I have told you in advance. If therefore they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go forth, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. 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. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather. But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken, and then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

As with Daniel 7, these final verses promise the saints deliverance. Specifically, the Lord will return in the second coming to gather the faithful saints.(Matt 24:15).

When you go to "Daniel", he describes the horrors of this "Abomination" in 4 places: Daniel 8:11-17, 9:26-27, 11:31-32, 12:11.

Daniel states that "the vision refers to the time of the End" (8:17), and Jesus himself refers us to it in Matt.24:15.

"Immediately after the tribulation... they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory" (Matt.24:29-30).

The time of the Second Coming of Christ is "immediately after the Great Tribulation". (2Thes.2:3).

Jesus tells us several things about this, "His Second Coming":

1- It will be "after the Tribulation"... "Immediately after the tribulation"!: "Immediately after the distress of those days... the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory" (Matt.24:29-30).

2- The next verse, Mat.24:31, says: "And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other"... those of his Church who just passed the Great Tribulation.

3- It will be "like in the days of Noah", says in Matt.37-39: At that time only were saved those who were in the Ark of God, which was the Ark where Noah prepared.

4- The Second Coming will fulfill the salvation of those who stayed faithful to his eternal truth as he gave to us in his word.

This is the bottom line of the "Sermon of the End of the World", in Matthew 25:31-46.

1- The 7 "signs" announcing the End (in Matthew 24:4-14):

They correspond to the "7 Seals" of Revelation:

1- The many "false prophets" that will deceive many, in v.5; it corresponds to the 1st seal, the "white horse" (Rev.6:2). The False Prophets are also mentioned in v.11, and in v.24, during the Great Tribulation.

2- "Wars and rumors of wars" in v.6; it corresponds to the 2nd seal, the "red horse", in Rev.6:3.

3- "Famines" in v.7, corresponds to the 3rd seal, the "black horse" of Rev.6:5.

4- "Earthquakes", in v.7, corresponds to the 4th seal, the "pale green horse" in Rev.6:7.

5- "Persecutions and tortures to the elect", v.9, corresponds to the 5th seal in Rev.6:9-11.

6- "Many will fall away... lawlessness... the love of many will grow cold", v.10-11, corresponds to the 6th seal in Rev.6:12-17... and it is the "apostasy" or "the final rebellion against God" of 2Thess.2:3.

7- "This good news of the kingdom will be proclaimed to the whole world", v.14, corresponds to the 7th seal, in Rev.8:1, the 7 Trumpets!.