OVERVIEW

At various and sundry places within the Bible, our Heavenly Father provides us with an
intimate peek inside His very mind. Thus, we are able to become more familiar with
Him and His character. Mathew 24 provides such an
opportunity. 

One focal point of Christianity is upon a single future event. Some call it  the “second
”, but the Bible does not use that description. Rather  it is referred to as “the coming
“the unveiling,” (Romans 1:1) and “the appearance,” (Titus 2:13). In the Revelation,
Chapters 1 and 4 the Lord is referred to as “who was and who is and who is to come”.  
It is when Jesus returns to earth as “king of kings” and “lord of all”.

In Matthew 24:3 the disciples ask Jesus “what will be the sign (events immediately
preceding) of your coming”. It is interesting that, in His response, Jesus lists exactly
7 signs. In Bible numerology the number 7 is a product of 3+4. 3 being a divine
number (the Holy Trinity, 3 in 1) and 4 represents the planet earth (4 winds, 4  seasons,
etc). The number 7 suggests completeness, all inclusive,  nothing left out. Therefore
when you read the Lord’s list of signs  here in Chapter 24, you will read all of them.
There are no more, therefore, further research in the Scriptures would be fruitless.
For convenience, this series is divided into six sub-sections, each further divided
so that no one segment will require more than  two minutes of reading time.

Our sub-sections are titled as follows:

a. Prophetic Announcement Already Fulfilled, 24:1-3
b. Global conditions, 24:4-14
c. The Trigger of the Great Tribulation, 24:15-28
d. The Glorious Return, 24:29-31
e. Parable of the Fig Tree, 32-41
f. Be Ready for His Coming, 42-51

a. Prophetic Announcement Already Fulfilled
(Matthew 24:1-3).
 
 1Jesus came out from the temple and was
going away when  His disciples came
up to point out the temple buildings to  Him.
2And He said to them,
"Do you not see all these things? Truly  I say to
you, not one stone here will be left upon another,  
which will not be torn down." 3As He was sitting
on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came  to
Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these
things  happen, and what will be the sign of
Your coming, and of the  end of the age?"
 
1. Jesus came out from the temple and was going away. Verses 1-3 appear
to be a typical Sabbath morning event, until we really examine what is happening.
Jesus comes out of the Temple, His disciples come to Him to point out the
temple buildings. Let us place this in context: The disciples are   Galileans; in
Jerusalem they are somewhat like “tourists”. The Temple, as we are going
to see, is the center piece of the city. So with a little bit of Jewish pride, the
disciples point out the various buildings that comprise the Temple complex.
 
2. not one stone here will be left upon another. There is a very surprising
response from Jesus. Obviously He does not share their enthusiasm
regarding the Temple. What is going on?

We begin by examining the material things: The Jews were very proud of the
Temple which was an enormous place (at that time) measuring 400 x 500
yards. It was a stately and beautiful structure, one of the seven wonders of the
world; no cost was spared to make it sumptuous. This was the building
originally started by Ezra and finished, also enlarged, by King Herod.
The work of Herod took 80 years; it was finally finished AD 63. The
Temple was the center of Jewish life for almost a thousand years. Had
you visited the city, in those times, the Temple would have been on
your “must see” list.

This prophetic statement made by Jesus was fulfilled in AD 70 when the
Romans leveled Jerusalem including the Temple. When Jesus made this
statement, surely it was difficult for the disciples  to really comprehend the
true implications of His words. In like manner, it is difficult for us, today, to
visualize much of the results of God’s judgment prophetically announced
in The Revelation and other places. History reveals the precise accuracy of
the Lord’s prophesy: The Roman commander ordered his troops  to dismantle
the Temple “stone-by-stone”.  The reason for that was to capture the gold that
had been used lavishly in the décor.

Now let us turn our eyes to Jesus: In Chapter 23, the Lord had been preaching
in the Temple and admonishing the Jewish religious leaders; these  were His
closing words “Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!” (23:39).
Those are the  final publicly spoken words of Christ to the Jewish people.
Having said them, he walked out and left never to return again. Immediately
outside He will announce the coming destruction of the Jewish Temple.

Jesus is not angry with the Jews because they have rejected Him;  He is broken
hearted because He knows of the coming judgment that will fall upon the city and
the Temple. That is why He wept over the city; were He angry He would have
raged. Divine love is so different then the human version; it is difficult for us
to really fathom it.

So there are 2 things to be learned here:

(1) When we sin, God is not angry with us, rather He is sorry for us  knowing that in
every way, our sin and rebellion only destroys our life.  This is still another example
of the magnitude of the Father’s love.

(2) We humans tend to be enamored by visual appearances. It is true of our
“temples”, e.g. our homes, automobiles, clothing, etc. We measure things
visually but God measures them spiritually. We look at the outside of things;
He looks in ward and reads the heart. If we are, indeed, followers of the
Lord then we should remember He was not impressed by splendid monuments
which is what the temple was; He  was saddened by the spiritual condition of
His people.

Note: The fact that the prophesy about the temple’s destruction has occurred is
assurance that His other prophecies will also come to pass. The Old Testament
requirement for a prophet was to write a prophecy,  in significant detail, that would
be fulfilled in the immediate future. That proved they were true prophets of God.

3As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came  to
Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things  happen,
and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the  end of
the age?"

3. There is a very human response to the Lord’s prophetic block-busting announcement.
Note that they associate the destruction of the Temple with Jesus’ return to earth.
Their question will set off a long response which is commonly know as the “Olivet
Discourse”. Which leads us directly into the prophetic portions of the Bible. God
wants we mortals to fully understand that His plans for all creation are complete
from beginning to end. Also that God will do nothing to us. that will come as
a surprise. The Bible says “Surely the Lord GOD does nothing unless He reveals
His secret counsel to His servants the prophets” There is a fundamental Bible
truth that you can put in the bank; God will do nothing unless He has announced His
plans in advance. How do such announcements arrive to us? In the prophetic
portions of the Bible. That is why The Revelation is called a prophesy, it is all about
God’s future plans which no one can fully understand without a thorough
understanding of The Revelation.

4. End of the age. The Greek word translated age is aiōn meaning a period
of time. Some translations, such as the KJV, substitute world for age; the later
versions being more accurate.

b. Global conditions, 24:4-14

4And Jesus answered and said to them, "See to it that
no one  misleads you.  5"For many will come in My name,
saying, 'I am the Christ,'  and will mislead many.
 6"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.  7"For nation will rise against nation,
and kingdom against  kingdom, and in various places there
will be famines and  earthquakes.
  
5. The disciple’s question is answered as the Lord describes general world
conditions during the period between His Ascension and the time immediately
preceding His return. Note that the disciples assumed that He would be returning
shortly after His Ascension. No where in the Bible does God reveal the length of
time that will occur between the two events. Even the ancient prophets could not
see the “Age of Grace” the time in which we live.

6. See to it that no one misleads you. The very first thing that Jesus speaks of is
deception. That is extremely interesting because in the 6th Chapter of The Revelation,
when the great tribulation first begins, we see the riding of the Four Horsemen of the
Apocalypse. The first rider, on a white horse, is an imitator of Jesus, he will deceive
the entire world. We call him the “anti-Christ” Satan’s greatest creation who will
become the world‘s last dictator.

But as Jesus notes there will be many deceivers. Today we have many ”false
Christians” in our midst; each of them is an anti-Christ. The Lord wants us to
beware of their existence.

7. Jesus lists many signs including false messiahs, wars, famines, pestilences, and
earthquakes. These events are, today, almost daily news events; called “catastrophes”.
These have plagued the human race since the Ascension, but they, as we shall see
shortly, are not the signs of the end. It is not uncommon, during major catastrophes for
people to believe it is in fact “the end”. Many people thought that World War II was
“Armageddon” the last war of the human race. If we understand the Word of God we
are far better equipped to deal with the circumstances that surround us.

 8"But all these things are merely
the beginning of birth  pangs.

8. Here is the very heart of the Lord’s discourse; if we do not fully understand this, we
will never fully comprehend Bible prophesy. The example of “birth pangs” (labor
pains) is a representation of His divine level of knowledge. It is well beyond just mere
“brilliance”.

Most of us have had some experience or have basic knowledge about birth pangs.
Probably no two birth events have identical patterns, but all have the same
characteristics: They begin very subtly, hardly noticed, and then continue to increase
in both frequency and intensity. So we see, here in the 21st century we are, and have
been, experiencing the beginning of birth pangs. For example: Humans have
conducted wars almost since the beginning, but in the past 100 years we have had
more wars than in all of history.

The frequency of earthquakes is on the rise and our scientists tell us that we can
expect mega-style events in the future. Famines are a major current event; that is
incredible to believe in this 21st century.

So there is a picture of how the end times will proceed as we approach the Great
Tribulation discussed in The Revelation. It will not happen abruptly, we will subtly
build into it.

 9"Then they will deliver you
to tribulation, and will kill you,  
and you will be hated by all
nations because of My name.
 10"At that time many will fall
away and will betray one  
another and hate one another.
 11"Many false prophets will
rise and will mislead many.
 12"Because lawlessness
is increased, most people's
love will  grow cold.
 13"But the one who
endures to the end, he
will be saved.
 
9. Then they will deliver you. Now the Lord shifts emphasis from worldly
circumstances to events that will effect his disciples and followers. Christian
history clearly reveals how accurate the Lord’s prophetic warning is. Most of us
have experienced some form of persecution, rejection, and have had family and
friends turn away from us because of our faith. Yet, those things are minor
compared to the martyrs of all ages and the Great Tribulation.

10. lawlessness is increased. For many generations, the general morals of the
human society has been decaying. As we move through the beginnings of birth
pangs we should expect to see society become worse and worse. I don’t know how
many times, during the evening news, I have said to my wife “how bad is it going to
get?”. Senseless killing of innocent citizens by terrorists is an almost everyday event.
As is the killing of our law enforcement officers. During a recent prostitution scandal
involving a major political figure, a TV reporter interviewed another nationally known
politician inquiring of his opinion regarding the sex scandal. His reply, on network TV:
“So what’s the big deal, it’s only prostitution”. Everything is proceeding just as Jesus
said it would. Another example of the faithfulness of God’s Word.

 14"This gospel of the kingdom
shall be preached in the  whole
world as a testimony to all the
nations, and  then the  end will come.


11. The preaching, the delivering, the telling about the Gospel is extremely urgent in the
grand scheme of God’s plans. Here, Jesus has clearly established that the primary
ministry of the Church of Christ is to preach the Gospel. Billy Graham, the great
evangelist, once said “I have many sermons, but only one message…the gospel.”
The Bible says that the gospel of Jesus Christ is eternal, it shall not perish, the price
that was paid to make it possible is beyond our understanding. Jesus on the cross
was the price. During the Great Tribulation, after the Church is taken out of harms
way and is in heaven, an angel will be assigned to preach the gospel: “And I saw
another angel flying in midheaven, having an eternal gospel to preach to
those who live on the earth and to every nation and tribe and tongue and
people…” (Revelation 14:6). In Chapter 7 of The Revelation, during the Great
Tribulation - A large multitude, from all corners of the world, arrives in heaven. In v14
they are identified "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation”.
Even during the awesome events of the most terrifying tribulation to ever be on earth,
the good news of the Gospel is being heard and people are hearing the everlasting
Gospel and being saved.

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c. The Trigger of the Great Tribulation, 24:15-28

15"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),
 16then those who are in Judea must flee to the
mountains.
 17"Whoever is on the housetop must not go
down to get the  things out that are in his house.
 18"Whoever is in the field must not turn back
to get his cloak.
 19"But woe to those who are pregnant and
to those who are  nursing babies in those
days!
 20"But pray that your flight will not be in
the winter, or on a  Sabbath.
 21"For then there will be a great tribulation,
such as has not  occurred since the
beginning of the world until now, nor
ever  will.
 22"Unless those days had been cut
short, no life would have  been saved;
but for the sake of the elect those
days will be  cut short.
 23"Then if anyone says to you, 'Behold,
here is the Christ,' or  'There He is,' do
not believe him.
 24"For false Christs and false prophets
will arise and will  show great signs
and wonders, so as to mislead, if
possible,  even the elect.
 25"Behold, I have told you in
advance.
 26"So if they say to you,
'Behold, He is in the wilderness, ' do  not
go out, or, 'Behold, He is in the inner rooms,
' do not  believe them.
 27"For just as the lightning comes from
the east and flashes  even to the west,
so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
 28"Wherever the corpse is, there the
vultures will gather.
　
　
12. ABOMINATION OF DESOLATION. This rather unique expression comes, as the
Lord notes, from Daniel 9:27 and 11:31. Abominations is from an ancient Hebrew word
shiqquwts that is connected to horrific idolatry (Deuteronomy 29:17, 1 Kings 11:5-7,
2 Kings 23:13). The Apostle Paul speaks of the incident, which is the darkest day in all
of human existence: “Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come
unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness (the anti-Christ)
is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above
every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple
of God, displaying himself as being God” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4).

This event will occur at the mid-point (3-½ years) of the Great Tribulation (Daniel 12:11).

From God’s perspective, it is the ultimate act of sin and it marks the point in
time when He will intervene in human history. We just might call it the final straw.

Judgment will fall upon the earth (Revelation 6). That judgment will cause massive damage
(desolation).

13. The overall gist of v. 16-20 is immediate response; no further delays. When the
abomination of desolation occurs, response from heaven will be instantaneous.

Jesus is strongly indicating there will be no delay. Does this confirm the truth that God is
very much aware of events on earth - all the time?

Massive destruction is going to fall upon the earth. Why is Jesus speaking directly to
Israelites and not to His own followers and the Church? Because the Christian community
will be taken out of harms way via an event traditionally called the “rapture” (word is not in
the Bible), but the activity is described in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: “For the Lord Himse
lf will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with
the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive
and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord
in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord”. The 4th Chapter of The Revelation
confirms that the Church (and all its saints - believers) are in heaven as judgment
commences. That text suggests that the rapture will not be a quiet event.

Will non-believers understand what is going on? Probably not; in the experience on the
road to Damascus (Acts 9:7; 22:9), Paul heard the heavenly voice, but his companions,
who heard the sound, could not distinguish the words.
　
Note: There are those who ask, “Well, if we Christians are not going to be here for the
Great Tribulation, isn’t it a waste of time to study it? Teacher does not believe there is
anything in the Bible that is a waste of time; God carefully put each word in place
because He wants us to understand the content. That is one reason why Christians
should study the complete Bible and not just parts.

14. Great tribulation, make no mistake about it, heed the Lord’s words, this is going
to be the most awful times in all of human history, no exceptions. God has been talking
about judging the world since the beginning and when He finally pours forth His wrath, it
is going to be just overwhelming. God wants us to understand that and to know in
detail what the judgment is going to be like, that is why He provides such remarkable
detail in The Revelation. Which every believer should study. Read the words of Jesus
in Revelation 1:3.

15. Behold, here is the Christ. Jesus is very concerned about His followers being
deceived; He speaks of it frequently. Yet, if believers study the Bible, and notably the
prophetic writings, they will not be deceived. The Lord speaks of the false prophets who
will be coming. Understand they are going to be super deceivers; they are products of
Satan himself - the great deceiver. It is urgent for all of the Lord’s followers to fully
understand the Biblical message about the end times.
The Bible is very explicit about the Lord’s coming; it is not going to be a quiet event;
He is not going to “sneak into town”. Jesus says Behold, I come quickly four times in
The Revelation (3:11, 22-7, 12, 20). Quickly does not mean “soon”, rather when the
event does occur, it will be speedy; one minute He will not be here and the next He will
be here.

A believer who knows the Bible will not be deceived by someone saying “Behold the
Lord is here”, the Bible is very explicit regarding His arrival: BEHOLD, HE IS COMING
WITH THE CLOUDS, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him;
and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him. So it is to be. Amen
(Revelation 1:7). Highlight the words every eye will see Him. When Jesus returns the
entire world will know it instantly, their King has arrived.

d. The Glorious Return, 24:29-31

29"But immediately after the tribulation of those days THE  SUN WILL BE
, 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.
 30"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.
 31"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.
 
16. But immediately after the tribulation. There is a prophetic announcement
with a positive time tag - immediately after. There are going to be severe cosmic
events. Now before and during the Great Tribulation there will also be great cosmic
events, but we are not to be misled; they are not the sign of the Lord’s return. The
cosmic events that will be His sign will come immediately after the great tribulation.
It is then the world will see Jesus returning to earth, bringing with him the Bride of
Christ (which is the Church that has been in heaven during the tribulation).

The ancient Jewish prophets also saw visions of these same cosmic events as
recorded in Joel 2:10 and Isaiah 34:4; the events are also confirmed in .Revelation
6:12-14.

17. Thus the Lord has given us the signs of His promised return:

(l) Is the abomination of desolation that will occur after the arrival of the anti-Christ
the world’s last great dictator.

(2) Exactly 3-½ years after the abomination, after God’s judgment has fallen, the
Great Tribulation will end.

(3) Immediately after that the Son of Man will appear preceded by incredible cosmic
disturbances.



e. Parable of the Fig Tree, 24:32-41

32"Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch  has already
become tender and puts forth its leaves, you  know that summer is near;
 33so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that  He is near,
right at the door.
 34"Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until  all these
things take place.
 35"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not  pass away.
 36"But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the  angels of heaven,
nor the Son, but the Father alone.
 37"For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days  of Noah.
 38"For as in those days before the flood they were eating and  drinking,
marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that  Noah entered the ark,
 39and they did not understand until the flood came and took  them all
away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.
 40"Then there will be two men in the field; one will be taken  and one will
be left.
 41"Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken  and one
will be left.

18. Jesus continues His discourse by shifting to a parable and uses the fig tree which
was very popular in Israel. Like many other varieties, fig trees have a particular pattern.
In the Spring when the sap begins to flow, leaf buds form, later they open. When it
occurs we know Summer is near. Recall in Biblical times, they did not have calendars,
in abundance, as we do today. Neither did they have watches, or clocks readily
available. So, in general, they were less conscious of the passing of time then we
are here in the 21st Century. In conversation, the condition of natural things were often
used to refer to the season of the year.

Previously, the Lord provided an analogy of the birth pangs (v. 7), which described
the condition of the signs, e. g., increasing in frequency and intensity. Now He is
relating the signs to time. When we see these signs we know that the time is near.

19. Jesus has already told us that the abomination of desolation (v. 15) is a
time-tag that will tell us when He is coming. Daniel further refines this announcement
“From the time that the regular sacrifice is abolished and the abomination
of desolation is set up, {there will be} 1,290 days” (Daniel 12:11). Therefore, we
have a perfect prophetic interlock between Daniel and Jesus. Daniel’s words
having been written about 550 years prior to the Lord’s.

20. This generation will not pass away. The Greek word for generation is γενεά,
which is a reference to a period of time, an age. Mathematically a generation is
equal to 30-33 years. To which generation is the Lord referring? The generation of
the disciples? Or, the generation who sees the signs He has been discussing? The
answer is the disciples did not live to see the signs.

NOTE: Some folks have difficulty with the expression pass away because it is
sometimes used to describe bodily death as an ending. The Greek parenchyma
means to “pass by”. A reasonable example that comes to mind is when watching
a large cruise ship that moves off towards the horizon and finally disappears from
sight. It has passed away, it still exists, but it is no longer in our own spectrum. The
same is true of a Christian who goes through bodily death; we say they have passed
away. They still exist, they are in heaven, but they are no longer in our spectrum.

21. The Father alone. Now in v. 36, Jesus finally answers the question asked by the
disciples back in v. 3: Tell us, when will these things happen. The prophet Daniel
points to the number of years after the abomination of desolation occurs, however
we do not know when that will occur, only the Father knows.

22. Just like the days of Noah. It appears that the human race has not really changed
that much in these thousands of years; we like to have the sign out “all conditions normal”.
We do not like disruptions such as storms, natural events, sickness and other occurrences
that disrupt our “peace and quiet”. So it will be when Jesus comes we will be doing just
as they did in the days of Noah, eating and drinking….all is normal.

23. There are other similarities between the days of Noah and the return of Jesus to
earth, for example in the days of Noah was preceded by violence and demonic
oppression (Genesis 6:1-5). We have already seen that when Jesus comes, His
arrival will be sudden and swift; that is exactly how judgment fell in the days of Noah.

24. One will be taken and one will be left. Now the Lord is describing a
“snatching out”, in Christian tradition this event is called the “rapture”. The
Apostle Paul describes the event in detail, see 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17;
also our study of Revelation 4.

 
f. Be Ready for His Coming, 42-51

42"Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which
day  your Lord is coming.
 43"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.
 44"For this reason you also must be ready; for the Son
of  Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will
.
 45"Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his  
master put in charge of his household to give them their
food  at the proper time?
 46"Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing  
when he comes.
 47"Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his  
possessions.
 48"But if that evil slave says in his heart, 'My master is not  
coming for a long time,'
 49and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with  drunkards;
 50the master of that slave will come on a day when he does  not expect
him and at an hour which he does not know,
 51and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the  hypocrites;
in that place there will be weeping and gnashing  of teeth.
 
25. Be on the alert. Jesus urges us to be ready, at all times; He is going to emphasize
this with some parables. We do not have to “pack our bags”, but we need to be spiritually
ready at all times. “Am I ready to meet Jesus face-to-face today?”

26. The faithful and sensible slave. Via the parable of the two servants, the Lord is
instructing us regarding our activities while He is gone. We are to be active, carrying
on the work of the Kingdom. If we are to be rated as “good” servants we will desire to
mimic our Master, we should crave to be just like Him; taking into consideration the
limitations of our humanity. The work of the Kingdom is endless. If you have the
impression that heaven is a laid back, relaxed place where everybody lays around
playing harps, you should study The Revelation. There you will learn how active that
heavenly scene is.

27. Ruler over all his goods. Jesus also promises that we will be rewarded for our
diligence. We should take careful note that the Lord is placing considerable emphasis
on the importance for us to be ready for His return and to be about the business of
the Kingdom until He arrives. It is interesting to note that His very last promise in the
Bible refers to this very matter: “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is
with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done”. (Revelation
22:12). We can never miss the note of urgency and warning in all that Jesus tells us;
that remains true even to the final written words given to His followers.

Important Note: The words “what he has done” refer to what a discile, a believer of
Christ has done in his lifetime for the good of the Kindom.
When Jesus returns He will reward His followers, who have been saved by grace, for a
“job well done”. James, the brother of Jesus, writes, “…faith without works is useless”
(James 2:20). Paul observes “…those who have believed God will be careful to
engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable…” (Titus 3:8).

28. My master is not coming. Many years ago, a preacher gave a memorable sermon
on those words. The gist of it was that Satan loves to deceive believers by convincing
them “there is no hurry (to do the work of His”, “Jesus isn’t coming today, so put it off until
tomorrow”. In other words, it is dangerous for believers to put off doing the work of the
Kingdom because Jesus has warned us of its urgency.
As we conclude this series let us leave on the note that the return of Jesus is a super-
important event in heavenly quarters. The Lord wants us to fully understand that and to
be ready for His return at anytime by constantly being about His business.


Summary of what the Lord has told us in this Bible topic,

1.  He has confirmed that He will return to earth and has provided us with a long list of
signs (world conditions) that will exist prior to that event.

2.  We live in a time window in which all of the signs exist and are increasing in frequency
and intensity.  As Jesus promised, the end did not come when the signs appeared.

3.  Thus we are somewhere in the period He calls the “birth pangs”.  Who can tells us
how long the birth pangs will prevail?  How frequent will the signs repeat?  How intense
will the pain become?  

4.  We do not know the answer to those questions, but we do know that a major event
will be occurring, the appearance of the imitator of Jesus, the great deceiver, the
anti-Christ.  Make no mistake, he is going to deceive the entire world, including
Christians who are not thoroughly familiar with the Bible, God‘s written words.  He is a
product of Satan’s most accomplished act of deception solving complex world problems,
seemingly performing great miracles.  

5.  Forty-two months after he first appears, the anti-Christ will go to Jerusalem and declare
himself to be God.  It is at the moment that Jesus says literally all “hell” is gong to break
loose on planet earth.  The Great Tribulation will have begun.

6.  Forty-two months later, those days will be cut short, just as Jesus promised, and the
dominion of the human race over God’s earth assets will cease.  The Lord will assume
control of His creation and the  King of Kings will arrive to rule.

7.  The followers of Jesus, those who have become children of God, will rule planet earth,
with the Lord, for one thousand years.  


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