THE WORDS OF JESUS
Creative, Causative, Prophetic, Instructional – Part 54
“It will all be torn down”
Jesus left the temple and was going away, when his disciples came to point out to him the buildings of the temple. But he answered them,
“Jesus left the temple area and was going on His way when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. But He responded and 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.”
As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?” And Jesus answered them,
“See to it that no one misleads or deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ (the Messiah), and they will mislead and deceive many people. And you will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.
“For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
“But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains.”
The Words of Jesus, Matthew 24:1-8
The date is sometime around A.D. 29. Jesus is speaking to His disciples, instructing and warning them of things at hand, things they must concern themselves about.
Jesus is giving an outline and an overview, a synopsis of the tribulation period, beginning in Matthew chapter 24 with the breaking of the first tribulation seal through the sixth tribulation seal and concluding in Matthew chapter 25 of Matthew with this prophetic pronouncement of:
The signs of the tribulation period (the breaking of the first through the sixth tribulation seals; the 6th Seal is the beginning of the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord and the final 7 years of the Great Tribulation.
His glorious return in the clouds for all to see.
The Trumpet blast and the Gathering of His Elect (i.e., the rapture).
The parable of the fig tree as a metaphor for the timing of His Return and the beginning of the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord, (the final 7 years of tribulation).
A warning to get ready and to stay ready for His Return.
Teaching on readiness and preparation.
An overview on the Judgment.
It is important to recognize that Jesus is speaking directly to His disciples in answer to their question, “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
Jesus is teaching, instructing His disciples of the things, some of which they will encounter, regarding “the sign of His coming and of the end of the age”.
(I will cover through Matthew 24:31 in this “Part 53”, the partial events of the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal, and then complete Jesus teaching on the ‘season’ of these events, the need for preparation and the consequences of being unprepared in the next episode.)
Most teachings on this matter, mistakenly conclude that ALL the tribulation period is contained in one seven year future period. That is a misconception and is erroneous.
The tribulation began at or around the time of the birth of Jesus, with succeeding seals broken, overlapping and intensifying up to our current day, all of which we have seen and have or are experiencing now – except the 6th Tribulation Seal! (Click here for a full explanation with detail comparing Jesus’ prophetic teaching and instructions from Matthew 24, correlated with His extended teachings in Revelation chapters 6 through 8).
Jesus, warning against false messiahs, false teachings, misconception and error on these matters, clearly says, “See to it that no one misleads or deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ (the Messiah), and they will mislead and deceive many people.
NO ONE has the knowledge nor the authority to restate, reinterpret or to change what Jesus has taught. No man, no woman, no institution, no theologian, no teacher. No one. It is better to say, “I do not know” or “I am not sure” than to invent a meaning from man’s perspective. Jesus has said, “Therefore, whoever nullifies one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven” (see Matthew 5:19) and again, “If anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.” (see Revelation 22:19)
Beware of institutional (false church) deception. It is present and growing at an alarming rate. You have been warned. (Click here on how to spot a false prophet and false teaching).
Jesus’ next words are repeated with detail and more clarity in Revelation chapters six and seven (and greater details can be found through Revelation chapter twenty-one).
Jesus next words encapsulate tribulations seals ONE through FIVE and conclude with the clear and amazing statement that, ”all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains.” Not the entire period, nor are they the end of all things. They are merely the beginning of birth pains.
Here is Jesus’ enumeration of the breaking of the initial tribulation seals found in Matthew 24:6 through Matthew 24:31 coded in red, which ostensibly had already begun. Please carefully read (Matthew 24) verses twenty-nine through thirty-one and see them correlated and compared them with Jesus’ teaching on these same events in Revelation 6:1 through Revelation 7:17 coded in blue.
Matthew 24, Verse 6. And you will be hearing of (Seal #1), wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end.
Revelation 6, Verse 1. (Seal #1). Then I saw when the Lamb broke one of the seven seals, and I heard one of the four living creatures saying as with a voice of thunder, “Come!” Verse 2. I looked, and behold, a white horse, and the one who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.
Matthew 24, Verse 7. “(Seal #2), For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and
Revelation 6, Verse 3. (Seal #2). When He broke the second seal, I heard the second living creature saying, “Come!” Verse 4. And another, a red horse, went out; and to him who sat on it, it was granted to take peace from the earth, and that people would kill one another; and a large sword was given to him.
(Seal #3), there will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
Revelation 6, Verse 5. (Seal #3). When He broke the third seal, I heard the third living creature saying, “Come!” I looked, and behold, a black horse, and the one who sat on it had a pair of scales in his hand. And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.”
Matthew 24, Verse 8. “But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pains.”
Matthew 24, Verse 9. “(Seal #4), Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.
Revelation 6, Verse 7. (Seal #4). When the Lamb broke the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature saying, “Come!” Verse 8. I looked, and behold, [i]an ashen horse; and the one who sat on it had the name Death, and Hades was following with him. Authority was given to them over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, and famine, and plague, and by the wild animals of the earth.
Matthew 24, Verse 10. (Seal #5), And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another. And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold.
Matthew 24, Verse 13. But the one who endures to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.
Revelation 6, Verse 9. (Seal #5) When the Lamb broke the fifth seal, I saw underneath the altar the souls of those who had been killed because of the word of God, and because of the testimony which they had maintained; Verse 10. and they cried out with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, will You refrain from judging and avenging our blood on those who live on the earth?” Verse 11. And a white robe was given to each of them; and they were told that they were to rest for a little while longer, until the number of their fellow servants and their brothers and sisters who were to be killed even as they had been, was completed also.
(The Abomination of Desolation)
Matthew 24, Verse 15. (Seal #6), So when you see the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let the one who is on the housetop not go down to take what is in his house, and let the one who is in the field not turn back to take his cloak. And alas for women who are pregnant and for those who are nursing infants in those days! Pray that your flight may not be in winter or on a Sabbath.
Matthew 24, Verse 21. (Seal #6 continued), For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be.
Matthew 24, Verse 22. And 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. Then, if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. See, I have told you beforehand. So, 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. For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.
Matthew 24, Verse 29. (Seal #6 completed), “Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Verse 30. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. Verse 31. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet-call, and 
they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
Revelation 6, Verse 12 (Seal #6 begins). And I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became as black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood; Verse 13. and the stars of the sky fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its unripe figs when shaken by a great wind. Verse 14. The sky was split apart like a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place.
Revelation 6 Verse 15. (Seal #6 continued) Then the kings of the earth and the eminent people, and the commanders and the wealthy and the strong, and every slave and free person hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains; Verse 16, and they said to the mountains and the rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the sight of Him who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb; Verse 17, for the great day of Their wrath has come, and who is able to stand.
Revelation 7, Verse 1. (Seal #6 continued) After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth so that no wind would blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree. Verse 2. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, holding the seal of the living God; and he called out with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was granted to harm the earth and the sea, Verse 3, saying, “Do not harm the earth, or the sea, or the trees until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads.”
Revelation 7, Verse 4. (Seal #6 continued) And I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000, sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel: Verse 5, from the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed, from the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, from the tribe of Gad twelve thousand,
Verse 6, from the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, from the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, from the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand,
Verse 7, from the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, from the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, from the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand,
Verse 8, from the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, from the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, and from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.
Revelation 7, Verse 9.(Seal #6 Continued). After these things I looked, and behold, 
a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all the tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; Verse 10, and they *cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.” Verse 11. And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, Verse 12, saying, “Amen, blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might belong to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
Revelation 7, Verse 13. (Seal #6 Continued). Then one of the elders responded, saying to me, “These who are clothed in the white robes, who are they, and where have they come from?” Verse 14. I said to him, “My lord, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Revelation 7, Verse 15. (Seal #6 Continued – the rapture). For this reason they are before the throne of God, and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne will spread His tabernacle over them. Verse 16. They will no longer hunger nor thirst, nor will the sun beat down on them, nor any scorching heat; Verse 17, for the Lamb in the center of the throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes.”
Revelation 8, Verse 1. (Seal #6 COMPLETED). When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. Verse 2. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. Verse 3. Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the [b]saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. Verse 4. And the smoke of the incense ascended from the angel’s hand with the prayers of the saints before God. Verse 5. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and hurled it to the earth; and there were peals of thunder and sounds, and flashes of lightning and an earthquake. Verse 6. And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them.”
THIS IS IMPORTANT
These verses from both Matthew and Revelation show:
The first five seals had already begun to be broken as early as A.D. 29.
His glorious return in the clouds for all to see.
The Trumpet blast and the Gathering of His Elect.
The parable of the fig tree as a metaphor for the timing of His Return and the beginning of the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord, (the final 7 years of tribulation).
A warning to get ready and to stay ready for His Return.
Teaching on readiness and preparation.
An overview on the Judgment.
The Sealing of the 144,000 from the 12 Tribes of Israel.
The multitude saved out of the Tribulation.
The multitude before the Throne of God, i.e., THE RAPTURE.
If you will pray and study and ask God for understanding and clarification, you will see that the first five Tribulation Seals have been broken and that we are at the precipice of the 6th Tribulation Seal – the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord – The rapture and the final 7 years of the Great Tribulaion.
Prepare. Stay Ready. Tell others.
Your Brother and Friend,
Mike Young
NEXT: THE WORDS OF JESUS – What Are You To Do With Them?, “The lesson of the fig tree”, Part 55.
PREVIOUS: THE WORDS OF JESUS – What Are You To Do With Them?, “You Will Find Rest”, Part 53.
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