Matthew 110
(Chapter 24)
Are we in the end-times
Part-three: The Great Tribulation
The next couple of chapters get pretty deep, Jesus is prophesizing things to come. And from
Matthew 24:21–28 (ESV)
21For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.
22And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
23Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.
24For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
25See, I have told you beforehand.
26So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.
27For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
28Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
Up to this point, everything Jesus has talked about and foretold has happened. some pretty horrible things happened, that culminated with the destruction of the temple, the killing of millions of Jews, plagues, famine, mass genocide, and the scattering of God's people.
Now we get into the predictions and prophecies that have not taken place. This is when we get into some of those scary things, the unknown, and we start talking about the things that go thump in the night. So, let's dive in just a little and see what Jesus has to say about what is to come.
The Great Tribulation! The final Storm
21For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.
· In my opinion, we are not there yet,
o some think we are close
o Others think we are in it now, here now
o Some think we are 1000's of years away
· This theologian Thinks we are in the storm, before the storm
The Tribulation: The Storm before the storm! (It ain't going to be good!)
· The English word translated as "tribulation" comes from the Greek thlipsis.
· It means "a pressing pressure."
· What it really describes is a stressful stress.
· In other words, it is not ordinary but something exceeding the ordinary.
· It is stress more intense than run-of-the-mill everyday stress.
** Note: In this context, even the ordinary, everyday stress is very intense, even to where life itself may hang in the balance.
Jesus mentioned enduring
Matthew 24:12–13 (ESV)
12And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.
13But the one who endures to the end will be saved.
· we also need to consider spiritual stress because of distraction,
· luring folks away from the Kingdom of God and God's purpose,
· and to strong challenges that will break you from the love of God as part of the tribulation.
o We are a distracted people
o With the internet
o Social media
o We are bombarded with information
o New and shiny things
o The expectations of looking a certain way, have certain things
o Church online for the too busy to attend
o These things can easily lure us into time-wasting, spiritual laziness.
Call me old!
but no time in all of history have we had to live virtually an entire lifetime under the constant intense pressures like the times we are living in. We are living in a period unique in the history of man; we are ramping up to a time so intensely stressful, possibly a time like the world has never seen!
· Natural disasters are up!
o an increase from 39 incidents in 1960 to 396 in 2019. (that’s 10-fold)
o Murder is up 28.9%
o And aggravated assault is up 11.7%
· We are living in some scary times
· And I believe we are in the storm before the storm!
o The time between the destruction of the temple and the beginning of the “GREAT” tribulation.
How short is short anyway??
22And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short.
I have a verse that answers that question:
2 Peter 3:8 (ESV)
8 But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
· A long time
· But God will show mercy! and not let the devastation and destruction go on
· Jesus is saying here if we got what we all truly deserve, not one person would be saved
· We would all fall short
· But because God loves us, He will cut those days short!
And who is the elect??
Matthew 22:14 (ESV)
14For many are called, but few are chosen.”
· The ones that endure
· The ones that stay the course
· A lot are called, but only a few make it
They will come in all shapes and sizes
23Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it.
24For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.
· Many will have and will continue to come
· And Jesus has been warning us all through His ministry
· That all the false teaching is not just for the lost, to keep them lost
· That it is leading some of us down the wrong path
· And they are not just preachers:
· We are flooded with false teaching, wrong thinking, and crazy ideology
· And Jesus says this about the day of His return
Matthew 7:22–23 (ESV)
22On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’
23And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
· This is why I say
· Stay in God’s word
o Be a study of it
· Be amongst God’s people
· and be careful who you listen to and learn from
Why are you beating this dead horse??
25See, I have told you beforehand.
26So, if they say to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ do not go out. If they say, ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.
· Did you know:
o That Jehovah Witnesses’ believe in a secret, invisible return of Christ
o David Koresh joined the Branch Davidians in 1981, becoming the leader of the core group of Branch Davidians by 1984. Koresh claimed to be the son of God, the Christ for the Last Days, and the Lamb of Revelation.
· The list of those who lead God's people away is long
· That’s why Jesus keeps beating the dead horse
· Because we are all vulerable to false teaching if we do not have a good foundation
Note: we are seeing this unfold in the world today, as the leaders both (established and charismatic) lead people to believe things that are not even plausible, that defy science and logic,
"It is usually futile to
try to talk fact and analysis to
people who are enjoying a sense of
moral superiority in their ignorance.”
Thomas Sewell
You won’t miss Him when He arrives!
27For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
· His actual return will be
o unmistakable in its nature,
§ there has never been and will never be an entrance like Jesus
o universal in its visibility,
§ no one, not one person, will miss it
§ it will be a showstopper
o and cosmic in its scope and effect[1]
There will be no doubt when He comes back, and that’s why we don’t need to worry about the time; we just worry about the harvest!
Just like a buzzard on some roadkill!
28Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
· When He comes back
· People will be drawn to Him like a buzzard on some roadkill
· They will flock to see Him
· He left as the lamb
· He will return as the king
So Jesus is saying, “live like I am coming tomorrow, Work like I’m not!
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