Pretrib Rapture & Matthew 24

PRETRIB RAPTURE & MATTHEW 24

Mt. 24-25

INTRODUCTION

A. HUMOR

1. A little 6 yr. old girl, Emily, complained, "Mother, I've got a stomach ache." She replied, "That's because your stomach is empty; you’d feel better if you had something in it."

2. That afternoon, Emily’s father came home complaining that he had a severe headache. Emily perked up, "That's because your head is empty," she said. "You'd feel better if you had something in it."

3. Well, I’m hoping to put something into your heads tonight!

B. THESIS & TITLE

1. A church member wrote me a text on Monday asking about Matthew 24 – if the “rapture” is the same as the Second Coming.

2. My answer was: the 2nd Coming has two parts – the Rapture and 7 years later, the Visible Appearing of Christ to defeat the Antichrist and set up His Millennial Kingdom.

3. I stated that Matthew 24, especially after verse 15, has to do with the Jewish nation living in Palestine – what they’re supposed to do when the Antichrist attacks Jerusalem and waiting for the heavenly deliverance that follows.

4. I decided to go ahead and preach on that tonight, as a verse by verse explanation of Matthew 24-25 might be enlightening to some of you.

5. The title of this message is “The Pretrib Rapture and Matthew 24.”

I. OUTLINE OF MATTHEW 24:1-14

A. JESUS ANSWERS QUESTIONS ON TEMPLE [READ MATT. 24:1-3 ALOUD]

1. Vss. 1-2, Jesus commented that the Temple they saw would be knocked down. This happened in 70 A.D. when Titus destroyed the Temple & Jerusalem.

2. This sparked a set of questions about; 1). WHEN the Temple would be destroyed, 2). What would be the SIGN of Jesus’ coming, and 3) [signs] of the END of the AGE (in Vs. 3). Jesus then listed the...

B. SIGNS OF HIS COMING & END OF THE AGE

1. Vss. 4-5, False Christs & false prophets

2. Vss. 5-7a, Wars would happen periodically

3. Vs. 7b, Famines & earthquakes would occur.

4. These previous signs were only the beginning of “sorrow” or “birth pangs,” Vs. 8. This Greek word, odinon, is associated with labor or birth pains. Jesus indicates that a series of tragic events would occur, one pain leading to another. Once these began, the condition of the world would continue to worsen until the “childbirth” was completed.

5. Vs. 9, Persecution.

6. Vs. 10, Apostacy, many fall-away from the Faith.

7. Vs. 11, widespread Deception will grip the world.

8. Vs. 12-13 Wickedness; most Believers grow cold.

9. Vs. 14, Gospel will be preached in whole world, “AND THEN THE END WILL COME. Verse 14 wraps up the period of time leading up to the 70th Week of Daniel. Vss. 15-22 speak of a description of the Book of Daniel.

II. ANTICHRIST ATTACKS JERUSALEM

A. WHAT THE JEWS IN JERUSALEM SHOULD DO WHEN ANTICHRIST ATTACKS, Vss. 15-22

1. The Lord Jesus tells the Jews of Palestine that when the “abomination that causes desolation” occurs (Dan. 9:27, 11:31; 12:11) – when the Antichrist sits in the Holy of Holies and declares himself God (2 Thess. 2:4) or sets up an image of himself – then they should flee to the mountains (of Jordan? Petra?)

2. Vss. 17-22 describe how dangerous it will be. This probably connects to Zech. 14:2-5, when all nations gather against Jerusalem to destroy it. But as their annihilation is being carried out, the Messiah appears and fights for the Jewish people. He lands on the Mt. of Olives & splits it. Zech. 14:8 says He sets His kingdom up over the whole earth that day – the beginning of the Millennial reign.

B. JEWS LOOK FOR THE MESSIAH TO SAVE THEM

1. Since, at that terrible moment, the Jews will be looking for their Messiah, He tells them what it WON’T look like. Not misleading miracles. Not in the desert or inner rooms, but like lightning in the sky (Vss. 23-28).

2. In verse 29, Jesus describes how the sun will go dark, the stars fall from the sky and the heavenly bodies will be shaken – just as the sign of the Messiah appears in the universe. The world will see Him coming and the disobedient will have time to flee to caves and caverns to hide (Rev. 6:15-16).

3. The Messiah will send His angels to gather His elect (vs. 31) – of the Jewish race that has survived – throughout the world (this is still part of the 70th week of Dan. 9:24 “for your people” the Jews.)

4. In vss. 32-34 the Lord tells His disciples to use the signs He’s described to know when these closing events are drawing near.

III. WARNINGS IN LIGHT OF CHRIST’S COMING

A. IT WILL BE SUDDEN & UNEXPECTED