Premillennialism

Part 4 - Matthew 24

Context is Mounting Conflict

• Mt. 21- parables present Israel as cast away• Mt. 22 - plots, traps, astonishment, silence• Mt. 23 - end of patience, Jesus weeps over Jer.• Mt. 24 - temple pointed out as place of beauty?

No, a place of judgment !• Mt. 24:3 - disciples ask about end & destruction

Jesus tells them when temple/Jerusalem will be destroyed.

7 Warnings Before His Coming

1. Vv. 4-5- False Christs

7 Warnings Before His Coming

1. Vv. 4-5 - false Christs

2. Vv. 6-7 - wars & rumors of wars, not the end

The history on which I am entering is that of a period rich in disasters, terrible with battles,

torn by civil struggles, horrible even in peace. Four emperors fell by the sword;

there were three civil wars, more foreign wars, and often both at the same time.

Tacitus, The Histories, 1:2There were besides disorders and civil wars in

every city…seditions arose everywhere… and were desirous of war… people of every

place betook themselves of rapine…Josephus, The Wars of the Jews, 4:3:2

7 Warnings Before His Coming

1. Vv. 4-5 - False Christs

2. Vv. 6-7 - wars & rumors of wars, not the end

3. V. 7 - famine and earthquakes, “merely the beginning of birth pangs”

…houses were overturned by repeated shocks of earthquake… the famine which resulted were construed as a supernatural warning.

Tacitus, The Annals, 12:43…previous to 70 A.D. There were earthquakes

in Crete, Smyrna, Miletus, Chios, Samos, Laodicea, Hierapolis, Colosse, Campania,

Rome, and Judea. …the city of Pompeii was much damaged by an earthquake occurring

on February 5, 63 A.D.J. Marcellus Kik, An Eschatology of Victory, p.93

7 Warnings Before His Coming

1. Vv. 4-5 - False Christs

2. Vv. 6-7 - wars & rumors of wars, not the end

3. V. 7 - famine and earthquakes, “merely the beginning of birth pangs”

4. V. 9 - persecution, martyrdom, hatred

Acts 8 - Stephen is stoned, great persecution starts, Christians are dispersed, James is beheaded

7 Warnings Before His Coming

1. Vv. 4-5 - False Christs

2. Vv. 6-7 - wars & rumors of wars, not the end

3. V. 7 - famine and earthquakes, “merely the beginning of birth pangs”

4. V. 9 - persecution, martyrdom, hatred

5. Vv. 10-11 - apostasy, betrayal, hatred, false teachers

7 Warnings Before His Coming

1. Vv. 4-5 - False Christs

2. Vv. 6-7 - wars & rumors of wars, not the end

3. V. 7 - famine and earthquakes, “merely the beginning of birth pangs”

4. V. 9 - persecution, martyrdom, hatred

5. Vv. 10-11 - apostasy, betrayal, hatred, false teachers

6. V. 12 - increased lawlessness one who endures till the end will be saved

7 Warnings Before His Coming7 Warnings Before His Coming

1. Vv. 4-5 - false Christs

2. Vv. 6-7 - wars & rumors of wars, not the end

3. V. 7 - famine and earthquakes, “merely the beginning of birth pangs”

4. V. 9 - persecution, martyrdom, hatred

5. Vv. 10-11 - apostasy, betrayal, hatred, false teachers

6. V. 12 - increased lawlessness one who endures till the end will be saved

7. V. 14 - gospel preached in whole world; end

Colossians 1:6, 23

…which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and

increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and

understood the grace of God in truth…

…if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you

have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven…

THE Sign of His Coming

Luke 21:20-21

"But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then recognize that her

desolation is near. 21. "Then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains,

and those who are in the midst of the city must leave, and those who are in the

country must not enter the city;

THE Sign of His Coming

• Abomination - the Roman army• Desolation - that of Jerusalem

• Vv. 16-20 time to flee to the mountains

NOTE: Nobody will be fleeing to the mountains the last

judgment day.

THEN The End Will Come

Josephus Witnessed

• Parents who ate their own children• Food taken from the mouths of the dead• 97,000 taken captive• One million dead• Blood running ankle deep in the gutters

THEN The End Will Come

• Josephus witnessed terrible events• V. 22 - days were cut short, Titus recalled…

THEN The End Will Come

• Josephus witnessed terrible events• V. 22 - days were cut short, Titus recalled…• Vv. 23-24, 26 - Rumors of Christ returned…

THEN The End Will Come

• Josephus witnessed terrible events• V. 22 - days were cut short, Titus recalled…• Vv. 23-24, 26 - Rumors of Christ returned…• V. 27 - When He returns there’ll be no hiding!

THEN The End Will Come

• Josephus witnessed terrible events• V. 22 - days were cut short, Titus recalled…• Vv. 23-24, 26 - Rumors of Christ returned…• V. 27 - When He returns there’ll be no hiding!• V. 28 - Israel/Jerusalem is dead

Careful Exegesis is Needed

• V. 29 - apocalyptic language describing destruction

Isaiah 13:10, 13

For the stars of heaven and their constellations Will not flash forth their

light; The sun will be dark when it rises And the moon will not shed its light.

Therefore I will make the heavens tremble, And the earth will be shaken from its

place At the fury of the LORD of hosts In the day of His burning anger.

Isaiah 34:4

And all the host of heaven will wear away, And the sky will be rolled up like a scroll; All their hosts will also wither away As a

leaf withers from the vine, Or as one withers from the fig tree.

Ezekiel 32:7-8

"And when I extinguish you, I will cover the heavens and darken their

stars; I will cover the sun with a cloud

And the moon will not give its light.8. "All the shining lights in the heavens I

will darken over you And will set darkness on your land,"

Declares the Lord GOD.

Nahum 1:5

Mountains quake because of Him And the hills dissolve; Indeed the earth is

upheaved by His presence, The world and all the inhabitants in it.

Careful Exegesis is Needed

• V. 29 - apocalyptic language describing destruction / Prophetic language of the O.T. for God’s judgment.

• V. 30 - destruction will be a sign to all of God’ judgment / clouds often associated with God’s presence

Psalm 104:3

He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters; He makes the clouds His

chariot; He walks upon the wings of the wind;

Careful Exegesis is Needed

• V. 29 - apocalyptic language describing destruction / Prophetic language of the O.T. for God’s judgment.

• V. 30 - destruction will be a sign to all of God’ judgment / clouds often associated with God’s presence / power and great power and great glory indicate a king comingglory indicate a king coming

Careful Exegesis is Needed

• V. 29 - apocalyptic language describing destruction / Prophetic language of the OT for God’s judgment.

• V. 30 - destruction will be a sign to all of God’ judgment / clouds often associated with God’s presence / power and great power and great glory indicate a king comingglory indicate a king coming

• V. 31 - angels / Gk. angelos / messengers, same word often applied to human messengers

Angelos were Human as Well

Mt. 11:10- John was the angelos sent ahead of JesusLk. 7:24- John sent angelos from jail to speak to Jesus

Lk. 7:24- Jesus quoted O.T., John sent as an angelosLk. 9:52- Jesus sent angelos ahead of Him to prepare

Js. 2:25- Rahab received the angelos/spies from Israel

v. 31 then indicates that messengers/preachers will gather

Christians from the four winds of heaven, i.e., from all the earth.

Careful Exegesis is Needed

• V. 32-33 - The fig tree teaches one to be aware (of the signs).

• V. 34-35 - Identifies the time when all the preceding would take place.

Matthew 24 does NOT speak of the last great judgment day.

2 Peter 3:10

But the day of the Lord will come like a the day of the Lord will come like a thiefthief, in which the heavens will pass

away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the

earth and its works will be burned up.

Will you be ready?