MATTHEW LESSON 49
We will pick up this lesson in Matthew 24:25 "Behold, I have told
you before." Matthew 24:26 "Wherefore if they shall say unto you,
Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, [he is] in the
secret chambers; believe [it] not." Matthew 24:27 "For as the
lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so
shall also the coming of the Son of man be."
This was not the first statement telling them not to be tricked
into believing that the Messiah would be hidden away, and that they
would have to search for Him. If you have to hunt for Him, it isn't
Jesus (Messiah) There will be a magnificent Light in the east that, in
appearance, looks like lightning. It will shine from the east to the
west. This is why many churches face the east, and that people are
buried where they face the east. You see, when Jesus (Son of man)
comes back, it will not be a secret. The Light will be so bright
everyone will know. The trumpet will blow and "the dead in Christ will
rise first". "Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up
together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so
shall we ever be with the Lord." I Thessalonians 4 parts of v-16,v-17
Matthew 24:28 "For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the
eagles be gathered together."
The only thing I can make from this is that wherever the body of
believers (carcase) is God (eagle) comes for them. St. Luke 17:37 the
last part, "wheresoever the body is, thither will be the eagles to be
gathered together."
Matthew 24:29 "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:"
The great tribulation actually covers seven years. These seven
years are broken up into two 3 1/2 year periods. The first 3 1/2 years
is tribulation, and the last 3 1/2 years covers the wrath of God. This
is speaking of a terrible shaking in the heavens. Where the sun and
moon is actually dark, or whether there are so many clouds covering
the earth that you can't see them, is uncertain, At any rate, there
will be no light on the earth at that time. This is, probably, during or
at the end of the tribulation of God. Even the light spoken of here
could be spiritual, as well. We know that these signs in the sky are
from the view of the people here on the earth. At any rate, this will
be a sign of terror for the inhabitants of the earth.
Matthew 24:30 "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."
Jesus went to heaven on a cloud, and the angels told the
disciples that were looking on, that He will come back the same way He
went. Here is the fulfillment of that prophecy. He truly will come
back in the clouds. Then He will not be as of one of us, but in Power and
Great Glory. This is when we will see Him in all of His heavenly
attire. We will know for sure who it is with His eyes like flaming
fire, white flowing hair, feet like burning brass. Then He will be King of
Kings and Lord of lords. Of course, He has always been that, but then we
recognize Him as that. He will come to take His family home.
Matthew 24:31 "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."
This will be the trumpet of assembly (the silver trumpet of
redemption) "four" means all the world. This assembly will not be just
Americans, but the true believers from every country of the world.
These "angels" are ministering spirits who carry out these orders of
their Lord and Master. The "He" here is Jesus (Messiah), but now He is
Lord of lords and King of kings.
This "sound of a Trumpet" could be a literal trumpet blowing, or
it could be the voice of our Lord sounding like a trumpet. This is the
last chronological mention of silver in the Bible. There will be no
silver in heaven. "Silver" means redemption, and there is no silver
there; because we have already been redeemed. There is only gold in
heaven. In the Holy of Holies, there was only gold, because in the
presence of God, there was only gold. This gathering together of His
elect is what is commonly referred to as the rapture of the church.
His church has no denomination. It is "all" who truly believe in the
Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew 24:32 "Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his
branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer
[is] nigh:" Matthew 24:33 "So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these
things, know that it is near, [even] at the doors."
The "fig tree" is symbolic of the house of Isreal. You remember
that was what was meant when Jesus cursed the fig tree. So this was
talking about when Isreal lives again. The "blooming" means, to me,
when Isreal became a nation in 1948. Here, this Scripture is saying,
when you see Isreal reunited and become a nation again, know that the
coming of the Lord is near. In fact, even at the door.
Matthew 24:34 "Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not
pass, till all these things be fulfilled."
Here again, this Scripture was talking about the coming of the
Lord. The generation that I believe this was speaking of is the
generation when Isreal becomes a nation. The only thing that is left
to decide is how long is a generation? It seems that opinion varies as
to what a generation is. Some believe that it is forty years, because
in Exodus, the children of Isreal wandered 40 years in the wilderness,
until that generation died. If 40 is the correct number, then 1988
would be the year of the Lord. It is interesting that the number
"eight" means new beginnings and is, also, the number associated with
the Lord. I am not trying to put a date on the return of the Lord, but
I would not be surprised if it were this year. I do know in my heart.
that it is very close. In the words "till all these things be
fulfilled", it is speaking of the return of the Lord. A generation in
other places is spoken of as 50 years and as 70 years. We do not know
the exact time of the return of the Lord. Only the Father knows that. If a generation is 50 years, it would be 1998. If a generation is 70 years, it
would be by 2018.
Matthew 24:35 "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words
shall not pass away."
We know that somewhere in the future, the heaven and earth will
pass away, because we read we shall have a new heaven and a new earth.
Jesus is the Word of God. He is, also, eternal. By this, we know the
Word is eternal.
Matthew 24:36 "But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no,
not the angels of heaven, but my Father only."
No one knows for sure the hour or the days that the Lord shall
return to the earth. We read in Luke chapter 21 verses 34-36 Luke
21:34 "And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be
overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life,
and [so] that day come upon you unawares." Luke 21:35 "For as a snare
shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth."
Luke 21:36 "Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be
accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass,
and to stand before the Son of man."
Even though we do not know the day or hour, we can see all around
us the signs. We have an expectancy in our hearts, if we truly love
Jesus. We must not grow lax and fall back in sin as the Scriptures
above are saying in Luke. It appears the word "surfeiting" means
suffering from the pain of too much alcohol. I guess you could even call
it having a hangover. Drinking leads to many other sins, I guess that
is why this one was specifically mentioned. Instead of being involved
in sin and with sinners, Jesus recommended that we use that time to
pray. The moment we are not expecting Him, is when Jesus will return.
We must be ready. The Jewish bride waits at her home, until the groom
builds her a home approved by his father. The groom does not even know
the time. When the father is satisfied that the house is ready, he
sends his son for the bride. The groom stands on a hill just outside
the city and blows the trumpet. The bride must be ready, and when she
hears the trumpet. The bride must be ready, and when she hears the
trumpet, goes to meet her groom. They steal away together.
The next lesson will begin with Matthew chapter 24.
Matthew 49 Questions
1. What are we to do, if we hear that Jesus is in the desert?
2. What shall the coming of the Son of man be like?
3. Why do churches face the east?
4. Why are people buried looking east?
5. Who will rise first?
6. What do you think V-28 means?
7. When will the sun be darkened?
8. When the sun turns dark, what powers shall be shaken?
9. The great tribulation covers how many years?
10. What subdivisions of it are there?
11. When shall the sign of the Son of man appear in heaven?
12. When shall the tribes mourn?
13. How had Jesus gone to heaven before?
14. When shall we see Him in His heavenly attire?
15. What will Jesus be called when He comes back?
16. What is His purpose in coming?
17. The trumpet that blows is a trumpet of ________.
18. What metal is it made of? Why?
19. What is referred to as the rapture?
20. In V-32, the fig tree was what?
21. When did Isreal become a nation?
22. What should we know when we see these signs?
23. What is the only thing left to decide?
24. How long do you think it is?
25. What is the number for new beginning?
26. What number is associated with the Lord?
27. What two things, that we classify as permanent, shall pass away?
28. What will we not know?
29. What are we warned against?
30. What are we to do to prepare?
31. What Jewish custom reminds of the second coming of Christ?
32. Who is the bride of Christ?
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