TRIBULATION

Matthew 24 Continued

E. J. Davis

V. 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:” There is going to be a terrible upheaval in the heavens. In Rev. 16:8-10 we read that the sun will scorch men for a period of time. The sun is a star and when a star burns out it gets hotter and then it just burns itself out. It is possible this is what will happen to the sun. Anyway terrible things will happen. See Rev. 6:12.

V. 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.” The sign the unbelieving Jews had asked for is the Son of man once crucified, but now seen in the darkened sky coming to deliver His people. He is the sign. “All the tribes” no doubt refer to the 12 tribes of Israel. They shall see Him with their physical eyes, a real man of flesh and bones. Zech. 12:9-14. “The clouds of heaven” are the heavenly hosts of saints. In Heb. 12:1 they are called a cloud of witnesses and in Rev. 19:14 they are called the armies in heaven. He comes “With power and great glory” - Rev. 19:11-13,15,16 gives us a good description of this.

V. 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.” Israel will be gathered where they have been scattered by divine decree, Dan. 9:7. Angels simply means messengers, redeemed glorified men shall call them back to God with a great sound of a trumpet (trumpeting God’s Word). Just as Joseph was moved in love for his brethren when he revealed himself to them; so Christ will yearn over His people, as He will view them (a new creation) in their homeland, no more to roam. Dan 12:12 says, Blessed is he that cometh to that time.

V. 32,33 - “Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.” Christ gives this parable of another sign of this coming to pass. The fig tree is likened unto the nation Israel. Hos. 9:10 and Isa. 5:1 and 6:9-13. Remember when Jesus entered Jerusalem (called His triumphant entry), the next morning outside the city was a fig tree and didn’t have any fruit on it. It had leaves only. Jesus cursed it and the disciples marveled because it dried up immediately. It represented Israel, they didn’t bear fruit, only leaves which figures just a profession. That is how Jesus found them when He came at His first advent. Now we see Israel a nation, yet tender and putting forth some leaves. It is a sign that Israel’s spiritual restoration is near. Afterwards they will get fruit, when they accept their Messiah. “When ye see these things, know that it is near, even at the door.” We have a door, open in heaven, Israel will have a door open on earth.

V. 34 - “Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.” I believe this means, the generation when Israel begins to put forth its leaves will not pass off the scene until all these things be fulfilled. Israel became a nation in 1948. The Scripture also tell us that He changes the times and seasons. He can lengthen days or shorten them (Dan. 2:21), but this promise shall be fulfilled.

V. 35 - “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” Compare these Scriptures - II Pet. 3:10; I Pet. 1:25; Heb. 1:10-12.

V. 36 - “But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.” At the time Jesus was speaking, no man knew the day nor the hour, Jesus as a man didn’t know it. I think He does now as God, for God knows all things.

V. 37-39 - “But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 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, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” He is emphasizing the suddenness of His coming. It will be a surprise to the world and as unwelcome as a thief, even as the flood was. It came suddenly sweeping upon the ungodly and took them away in judgment. Gen. 6. This is not the rapture of the church as some preach. This is when He shall come in judgment. The flood was judgment. Who were saved when the flood came? Only those who entered into the ark. Many were not saved and taken away in judgment. “So shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

V. 40-41 - “Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.” It will be separative and selective. Today, is a time of separation spiritually. The Lord is separating us unto Himself. When this judgment comes there will be actual separation between saint and sinner. The one taken will be taken in judgment and the other left. That is the way it was in the flood. Those left were in the ark, they were safe. That day will show plainly who is a believer and who is not. Those who believe will be left for blessing in the earth, as was the case with Noah and his family.

V. 42,43 - “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 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.” Watchfulness is the admonition. When did the watches occur? It was at night. They would watch the city so no danger would come to them. Six o’clock at night until six o’clock in the morning were divided into four night watches. Mt. 14:25, Jesus came to them in the fourth watch of the night walking on the sea. Tribulation will be the night time that is coming to this world. In the fourth watch He will come to Israel, the Day Star will arise. II Pet. 1:19. We are not in that time. We are not of the night, we are of the day. I Thess. 5:5,6,24. In Acts 1:6-8 the disciples asked Jesus, Will you at this time restore the kingdom of Israel? He said, It is not for you to know, but be filled with the Holy Spirit.

V. 44-47 - “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.” This message is primarily to Israel, but verse 25 is an example to us that God loves faithfulness. Let us be wise in what the Lord has given to us, and may we feed others the Word of God.

V. 48-51 - “But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 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, And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” The principle of this can apply to us too. The wise and faithful servant is one that watches for the Lord and expects Him to come any day. We read of two kinds of servants here, there is also the unfaithful who are only professors. They are known as servants, yet they serve themselves not others.

Psalm 130:5-8

I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning. Let Israel hope in the LORD: for with the LORD there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. And he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities.