THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 24, verses 29 – 51, Part 3

 

THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Part 3

Chapter 24, verses 29-51

The Great Tribulation Begins, His Glorious Return, The Parable of the Fig Tree, Be Ready for His Coming

 Matthew 24:29,. “But 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 the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Verse 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. Verse 31. And He will send forth His angels with A GREAT TRUMPET BLAST, and THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

(Commentary Break): These are some of the most read yet most overlooked and misunderstood verses regarding the second advent of Christ. These verses are clearly written and easy to understand, yet amazingly, most theologians somehow ignore the plain language of Jesus second appearing, and consider Revelation 19:11-21, when Jesus appears in the heavens on a white horse, He judges and wages war as His second coming.

NOTE: The wording clearly states, in Matthew 24:30 that this is His second appearing and He will gather together His elect, and this is the perfect description of the anticipated rapture! “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. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet blast, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.”

 NOTE: The wording in Revelation 19:11-21 clearly states that He is appearing to wage war, to strike down the nations, and to rule them with a rod of iron. “And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.  His eyes are a flame of fire, and on His head are many crowns; and He has a name written on Him which no one knows except Himself.  He is clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.  And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. And on His robe and on His thigh He has a name written: “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Secondly, and just as important, is the literal nature of Verse 29, which must not be overlooked or ignored. “But immediately after the tribulation of those days”. When? And, which days? Immediately after the days of tribulation which Jesus has just described in the verses six through twelve, which Jesus calls the Birth Pains of the tribulation. He is saying immediately after the first five tribulation scroll seals, referring to wars and rumors of war; nations rising against nations; death from wars, famines, plagues, earthquakes; persecutions and martyrdoms.

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 the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  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. And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet blast, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.

Great worldwide earthquakes and upheavals of the earth’s surface, the blotting out of the sun, the moon turning blood red in color, accompanied by cataclysmic cosmic disturbances, including clusters of asteroids hitting the earth. This is the breaking of the Sixth Tribulation Seal and the beginning of the Seven years of Great Tribulation, also known as the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord and the Wrath of the Lamb.

It is important to know this, so you too can see all these things and recognize that He is near, right at the door. There is no time to wait. You must be ready, now! (End Commentary Break).

Parable of the Fig Tree

Verse 32. “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: as soon as its branch has become tender and sprouts its leaves, you know that summer is near; verse 33, so you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. Verse 34. Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. Verse 35. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

(Commentary Break): Jesus uses a simile to compare the unmistakable changes of earth’s seasons to the changes of the eschatological seasons, and tells us that when we see these changes, we will know that Jesus is near, in fact He is at our very gates.

AN IMPORTANT CHRONOLOGICAL MARKER:  Jesus emphasizes this point, telling us that this generation, the generation, which actaully translates as an era or an epoch that follows the unmistakable signs of his return, will not pass away until all the things to come, take place. This is the urgent message that with the breaking of the 6th Tribulation Seal, we will have entered the final seven years of the Great Tribulation, the great and terrible day of the Lord, also known as Daniel’s 70th week. (You can get even a better understanding of the meaning of these verses by reading Daniel chapter 12.) (End Commentary Break).

Verse 36. “But about that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone. Verse 37. For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. Verse 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, verse 39, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be. Verse 40. At that time there will be two men in the field; one will be taken and one will be left. Verse 41. Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one will be left.

(Commentary Break): I will say little more than this is Jesus’ description, by way of a simile, of describing the coming rapture of God’s elect I will say little more than this is Jesus’ description, by way of a simile, of describing the coming rapture of God’s elect. He will  (from the Greek word, harpazó), ‘seize, catch up, snatch us away’, out of the way of harm and into His Eternal Presence. (End Commentary Break).

Be Ready for His Coming

Verse 42. “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming. Verse 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. Verse 44. For this reason you must be ready as well; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.

(Commentary Break): All having been said, Jesus warns, “Therefore be on the alert”. He uses a metaphor comparing the stealth of a thief in the night to His return. It will be sudden and at an unexpected time. And, just like in the case of the thief, if you are not prepared, your most valued possessions, your family and your loved ones,  will be plundered. (End Commentary Break).

Verse 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? Verse 46. Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. Verse 47. Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. Verse 48. But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ verse 49, and he begins to beat his fellow slaves, and he eats and drinks with those habitually drunk; verse 50, then the master of that slave will come on a day that he does not expect, and at an hour that he does not know, verse 51, and he will cut him in two and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

(Commentary Break): Warning! These verses, forty-five through fifty-one, could be explained in various ways, such as, who indeed, is the ‘faithful and sensible slave’? The clear and obvious answer is that he is one who put in charge of the master’s ‘household’. A metaphor, for sure, but a clear picture, first, of one entrusted with the House of God, His Church. (This could also be considered to be one entrusted with his own household, but more likely, one who has assumed greater responsibilities in the Household of God).

Please read and re-read verses forty-six through forty-nine. These verses are both instructional for the servant over the household and the servants within the household. The primary message is one of encouragement to the faithful servant who provides food, (spiritual, mental and emotional nourishment and maintenance) and a warning to the unfaithful and evil servant, a controlling tyrant, a manipulator, and even a drunk.

These are also instructions to the servants AND member within the household. The faithful servant is appointed by God, and you should listen to him. But you should flee the evil servant, even if it means giving up convenience and comfort or risk suffering the inevitable consequences. (I have seen this happen in far too many churches, as the pastor gets ‘drunk with his own importance, his own agenda, and his own luxury’. Be warned. The signs may be subtle at first, but do not become ensnared. It will become worse, and you could be trapped.)

The final verse should be ample warning for the pastor or church leaders who think they are ‘the anointed of God’ or that they are important in their own rights. When Jesus returns “He will cut this errant and evil servant in two and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth”. ( End Commentary Break).

All Scripture is inspired by God and beneficial for teaching, rebuke, for correction and for training in righteousness; so that you, the man or woman of God, may be fully capable and equipped for every good work.

These chapters and verses, in particular, are the pathways into His kingdom, both now and eternally. They are especially salient and relevant to your everyday life, ‘as a lamp unto your feet’, guiding your through the darkness of this world, and through the thickets of life. Follow Him and His Words to safety and success.

Your Brother and Friend,

Mike Young

PREVIOUS: THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 24, verses 15-28, Part 2, Perilous Times.

NEXT: THE BOOK OF MATTHEW – Chapter 25, Ten Virgins, The Talents, Judgement.

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