This is a breakdown of Jesus’ famous Olivet Discourse, taught on the Mount of Olives, three days before his crucifixion. I would like to give credit to Heather R, as some of her insights on this passage were applied to this article.
When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)
Matt 24:15, KJV
Story (Matt 24):
Then Jesus left the temple and his disciples came to him, calling to his attention of those buildings.
And Jesus said to them, you see all these things, truly there will not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately and asked him tell us when shall these things be, and what will be the sign of your coming, and the end of the world.
Then Jesus answered and said unto them, be careful not to let any man deceive you.
For many will come in my name saying, I’m Christ, and shall deceive many.
And you shall hear of wars, rumours of wars, but do not be alarmed, for all these things must her come to pass, but the end is not yet.
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
And there shall be famines, pestilences (plague / pandemic), and earthquakes, in many places.
All these all the beginning of sorrows.
Then they shall deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you, and you shall be hated by all nations for my nations, for my name’s sake.
And then many will turn away from the faith, and will betray and hate one another.
And many false prophets shall rise, and deceive many people.
And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall grow cold.
But he that endures to the end, shall be saved.
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come.
When you see the abomination of the desolation spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place of the temple.
Then let those in Judaea flee to the mountains.
Let him which is on the housetop, not come down to take anything out of his house.
Neither let him which is in the field, return back to take his clothes.
How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women with child, and nursing mothers.
But pray that your flight will not be in winter, nor on sabbath day.
For then will be such great tribulation, such as was not seen since the beginning of the world to this time, nor there ever shall be anymore like this.
And except that those days be shortened, no flesh should be saved.
But for the elect’s sake, those days shall be shortened.
Then if any man shall say to you, look here is Christ, or there he is, do not believe him.
For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and they will show great signs and wonders.
That if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect too.
Now, I have warned you all these ahead of time now.
And if they shall to you, look there he is in the desert, or in the secret chambers, do not believe them nor go forth.
For as the lightning comes out of the east and shines even unto the west, so shall the coming of the Son of man be.
For wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will be gathered together.
Immediately, after the tribulation of those days, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon will not give her light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken.
And then shall the Son of man appear in heaven, and all tribes of the earth will mourn, as they see him coming in through clouds with great power and glory.
Then he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to another.
Now learn a parable of the fig tree, when his branch is yet tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is nigh.
So likewise, when you see all these things, know that is it near, even at the doors.
Truly, I say to you, this generation shall not pass, until all these things have happened.
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words will not pass away.
But of that day and hour, no man knows, not even the angels in heaven, but my Father only.
As the days of Noah were, so shall the coming of the Son of man be.
For as in the days before the flood, they were eating, drinking, marrying, and given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark.
And did not until the flood came, and took them all way.
So shall the coming of the Son of man be.
Two shall be in the field, one will be taken, and the other left.
Two women shall be grinding at the mill, and one shall be taken, and the other left.
Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord come.
If the master of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
Therefore also be ready, even in such an hour where you do not think the Son of man would come.
Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom the his lord has made rule over his household, to give them meat in due season?
Blessed in that servant, whom his lord when he comes shall so find doing.
Truly, I say to you, that she shall make him ruler over all his goods.
But if that evil servant shall say in his heart, my lord is delayed in his coming.
And begin to beat his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with drunkards.
The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he does not look for him, and in an hour he is not aware of.
And shall cut him asunder, and splint him his portion with the hypocrites, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Exposition:
The Olivet Discourse is spoken by Jesus 3 days before he went to the cross to by crucified.
It is a prophecy of the destruction of the Jerusalem temple at 70 AD, and also the eschatological events of the end times.
We have discussed in detail, about the order of events in the last days which we are living in now.
Please refer to Pretribulation article, for these events which includes the rapture of the church, the seven years tribulation, the second coming of Christ, his millennium reign on earth, and judgment day.
Please refer to 2 Thess 2:3 article, for the falling away, the restrainer being taken away, and the revealing of the Antichrist, which kickstarts the seven heads tribulation.
Please refer to Rev 21:2 article, for how heaven / heavenly Jerusalem where all believers will dwell in looks like.
So this passage is not new, as we looked at it previously, when discussing about the end times.
We note however, some of the things discussed here refers to the events during 70 AD, when the Roman soldiers destroyed Jerusalem city and the temple too.
This temple was the second temple built during Ezra-Nehemiah times.
Please refer to Rev 21:2 article, for the discussion of various temples built by the Jews, with the fourth and final temple on earth built by Jesus himself when he returns.
The destruction of the city and temple, was specifically included in Daniel’s 70 weeks prophecy.
Daniel 9:26 And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.
Interestingly enough, the events of 70 AD, are what separates Luke’s Olivet Discourse from Matthew and Mark’s accounts.
All three gospels refer to Daniel’s 70 weeks prophecy, when describing the Olivet discourse.
It is called the Olivet discourse, as Jesus gave his orderly and extended teaching on the end-times and last days, on the Mount of Olives.
The last days can be referred to the church age where after Jesus ascended and left earth, and is now seated at the right hand of God.
The end-times is a subset of the last days, at the tail of the last days, where the eschatological events prophesied would happen.
Even the three gospels talks about the same Olivet discourse, but they point to different parts of Daniel’s prophecy.
Luke’s Discourse vaguely refers to the beginning of the 70th week (Dan 9:27) in verses 7-11, but the significant portion of it refers to Daniel 9:26.
Verses 12-28 regard the events of 70 AD, and the lead up to and inclusion of the Jesus second coming.
70th week:
Luke 21:7 And they asked him, saying, Master, but when shall these things be? and what sign will there be when these things shall come to pass? 8 And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them. 9 But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by. 10 Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: 11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
70 AD
12 But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake. 13 And it shall turn to you for a testimony. 14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: 15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. 16 And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. 17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. 18 But there shall not an hair of your head perish. 19 In your patience possess ye your souls. 20 And when ye shall see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that the desolation thereof is nigh. 21 Then let them which are in Judaea flee to the mountains; and let them which are in the midst of it depart out; and let not them that are in the countries enter thereinto. 22 For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. 23 But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people. 24 And they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled. 25 And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; 26 Men’s hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. 27 And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
Why were the events of 70 AD as such? Because Israel did not know the time of their visitation.
Israel rejected her Messiah, and His first offering of the kingdom
This was to be her consequence.
Luke 19:28 And when he had thus spoken, he went before, ascending up to Jerusalem. 29 And it came to pass, when he was come nigh to Bethphage and Bethany, at the mount called the mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, 30 Saying, Go ye into the village over against you; in the which at your entering ye shall find a colt tied, whereon yet never man sat: loose him, and bring him hither. 31 And if any man ask you, Why do ye loose him? thus shall ye say unto him, Because the Lord hath need of him. 32 And they that were sent went their way, and found even as he had said unto them. 33 And as they were loosing the colt, the owners thereof said unto them, Why loose ye the colt? 34 And they said, The Lord hath need of him. 35 And they brought him to Jesus: and they cast their garments upon the colt, and they set Jesus thereon. 36 And as he went, they spread their clothes in the way. 37 And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen; 38 Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest. 39 And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples. 40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. 41 And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, 42 Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes. 43 For the days shall come upon thee, that thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side, 44 And shall lay thee even with the ground, and thy children within thee; and they shall not leave in thee one stone upon another; because thou knewest not the time of thy visitation.
Matthew and Mark’s Olivet Discourses are essentially mirrors of each other.
However, they do not relate to the events of 70 AD.
Rather Matthew 24, and Mark 13, directly correlate to Daniel’s 70th week.
This is to say, they are 70th week specific.
Daniel 9:27 And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.
When we explore this understanding further, we see how the beginning of Matthew 24 relates specifically to the Seal judgments from Revelation.
And it is interesting to see Matt 24, from this viewpoint, as we usually take it to interpret the last days where the increasing earthquakes, famines and pestilences are happening today (v4-8).
But before that, they shall deliver you (the disciples), to be afflicted, and kill you, and you shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake (v9).
This is echoed in Luke 21:12-19, where the chronology of events at 70 AD then the 70th week is clearer.
And so v10-14, goes on to talk about how false prophets will arise, like the antichrists we saw in 1 John 2:18-19, and the Antichrist (please refer to 2 Thess 2:3 article).
And how there would be false prophets, and because iniquity abound, the love of many shall grow cold, but he that endures to the end shall be saved.
And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations, then shall the end come.
So collectively, v4-14, is commonly read to interpret what is happening in our world today through earthquakes, floods, famines, pandemics like Covid-19.
And the increasing frequency it happens, like contraction of birth pangs / “sorrows” (v8).
And we see many false teachers, teaching false doctrines today.
The gospel has been diluted, and watered down, on what it means to follow Jesus to lay down our whole lives, and sometimes reduced to a sinner’s prayer said once only.
True worship is more than just music or style, but a dedication to God, and delight in his presence.
But the gospel has been preached to all nations today, from 70 AD time till now 2025, we know it has reached every corner of the earth.
But because of increasing iniquity, negative influences, from media, entertainment, government, culture, to sin, immorality, violence, bloodshed, envy, bitterness, the love of many will grow cold.
Churches today are so different, unlike the days of the early churches in Acts, where people sold all they had and helped each other, such that no one had lack or a need (Acts 2:42-47).
There are increasing scams, hoaxes, all around the world today too.
Many are so comfortable and absorbed with the cares of this world, such as pursuing money, positions, status.
Even in Singapore, we prioritise living a comfort life, and value our time, where we might have grown to be increasingly inpatient.
Anything that gets into our comfort, or time, including the needy, or God’s calling to serve him, is costly to us.
Also, in this digital generation, we might have subconsciously been cultured to take control of everything, instead of letting God be in control.
The smartphone introduced as a tool in 2007 by Steve Jobs for communication, has now become a necessity, with our digital currencies, news, social media, communication, work all on one device in our hands.
And our reliance on it is so inadvertently great, sometimes even more than our reliance on God, that without this device for just a week it can cost us dearly.
Many have been blinded, to just rely and trust on themselves.
Their security / foundation is found on what they have, their money and titles, instead of Jesus Christ himself.
Due to technological advancement, where we are also in the Information Age, it seems like having more information gives us an advantage over others.
So we want to know things before they happen, in order that we may plan how to prepare for it, instead of relying on God’s plans and provision.
Hence information becomes another pillar of our security.
That with all these, we become a society that is focused on the natural / temporal, rooting our foundation, on what we can see and touch, and what happens here on earth.
Instead of putting all our hopes on the invisible, incorruptible, immortal, which we can’t see which is eternal.
But Jesus had already warned us as that although we may be affluent, not to be lukewarm Christians (Rev 3:14-22).
Because the goods and wealth, can be a distraction Satan uses to make us think we lack nothing.
Thus Jesus wrote to the church of the Laodiceans, in Rev, which is the seventh and last church he has written to.
And the church of Laodicean can be said to prophetically apply to us believers too, living in this generation and era.
That he has never accepted lukewarmness, and will spit us out if we are lukewarm.
Instead, he warns us to buy gold tried with fire, to allow him to take us through situations / seasons that he wants to shape and moulds us.
Buy eye salve that we may see Him more clearly.
And buy white raiment from him that our garments will not have holes which represents sin and iniquity, that makes us appear naked before him.
And that he loves us so he chastens and warns us now, if we overcome the world and consistently keep our focus and affections on him, he will grant us the privilege to sit with him in his throne, even as he is now sitting down with the Father in his throne.
So today, God is us closer in intimacy with him, and towards his purposes / destiny for your life.
Surely all these things in v4-14 happened during the disciples day, and at 70 AD, but it wasn’t so exaggerated as today, the earthquakes, false teachings, and iniquity.
The emphasis during the disciples day, was however, how they would be afflicted and killed in v9, for Jesus’ name, which actually happened to some of them, as we read further in the NT.
v15 then clearly refers to the mid-tribulation, where the Antichrist manifest itself fully here on earth, after Satan lost the war in heaven, and was cast down with his angels, to earth.
Through setting up the mark of the beast, after invading the temple and breaking the seven year covenant with Israel.
Please refer to 2 Thess 2:3 article.
And with all these advancement in technology, smartphones, AI, robots.
And also with the advancement in medical field, it is not hard to imagine how Rev 13 on the mark of the beast is actually talking about a technological revolution or breakthrough.
Where the technology sadly, would be infused into a person’s forehead or right palm.
With the rapidly advancement in medical field as well, we are so close, when today we see chips getting injected into the skin, and implanted into a person’s nervous system to allow them to express themselves.
Satan will use lies to control and manipulate the world, tricking them to believe that they can take full control of their lives, by taking the mark.
When actually, it is bondage under Satan, and he is a hard master, who seeks to oppress.
He will take full control of the people whom he subjected under his bondage, their thoughts, emotions and will, through the mark, for his purposes and pleasure, and he is just wicked in all his ways.
Better to be serving Jesus faithfully, than Satan. Yes it is not a smooth road especially in this broken world, but a worthwhile journey, amen.
When we finally get to see him, he will wipe away every tears from our eyes (Rev 21:4).
So we have seen how v4-14 can be interpreted in multiple layers, such that is can be applied to describe the events during the disciples days and ours.
But another layer / way, these verses can be interpreted, which people don’t usually see, is the correlation of the first-half of the tribulation.
From v15, we know and seen how that refers to the mid-tribulation.
Specifically, we can take v4-8, to correlate with the opening of the first six seals of judgment in Rev 6.
Before we start to unpack this, I want to affirm you my brethren that I believe all these seals, trumpets, and bowls of wrath are not for us.
It is God unleashing his anger and judgment on this wicked world, just like how he did with the flood in Noah’s days.
Please refer to 2 Thess 2:3 article, for this Pretribulation rapture viewpoint.
Now back to the seals, let’s recap what is written from v4-8 again.
Matthew 24:4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Sorrows are likened to a woman in travail, or in the midst of childbirth.
The 70th week has the same connotation.
The intensity and frequency of judgement ramps up, until the child arrives.
In this case, the arrival will be that of our Christ.
Continuing in Matthew 24, we encounter the events which characterize the midst of the Week, as well.
This event ties directly back to Daniel 9:27. It is also referenced in Daniel 11.
Daniel 11:36 And the king shall do according to his will; and he shall exalt himself, and magnify himself above every god, and shall speak marvellous things against the God of gods, and shall prosper till the indignation be accomplished: for that that is determined shall be done.7
Matthew 24:15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day: 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.
Although the instructions here are addressed to the Jews in Judaea, what happens in the temple where Satan takes over will affect the whole world too, resulting in the mark of the beast implemented.
Finally, we encounter the end of the Week in Matthew 24.
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: 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.
What is this sign of the Son of man?
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.
The sign of the Son of man is His Glorious Appearing.
However, that particular sign of the end times is not the one we are looking for in this study.
Rather, the sign we are looking for is how Jesus started at the beginning the Olivet Discourses with statements about the second temple being destroyed.
Matthew 24:1 And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple. 2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.
Why is this ironic? Because the 70th Week will begin with the construction of another new temple.
Revelation 11:1 And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. 2 But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
And so we know at 70 AD, the second temple has already been destroyed, which is a prerequisite to the rapture.
The same language is used in 1 Thessalonians 5 to describe the commencement of Daniel’s 70th Week.
1 Thessalonians 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
As we stated above, Matthew 24 mirrors the Seal judgments from Revelation.
Matthew lists the following, in order:
Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
Compare to Revelation 6’s Seal One:
Revelation 6:1 And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. 2 And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
This is the Antichrist, or the one who comes in the place of Christ.
The opening of Seal One is a mirror of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ from Revelation 19.
Revelation 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
The Antichrist will then disguise himself as Christ, coming in peace, to make a peace treaty with Israel, which they will accept.
When we continue in Matthew 24, we see further links to Revelation 6 and the opening of the Seal judgments.
And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.
For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
Compare to Revelation 6’s opening of Seal Two.
Revelation 6:3 And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. 4 And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.
Continuing in Matthew 24, we next see the following:
and there shall be famines,
Compare to Revelation 6’s opening of Seal Three.
Revelation 6:5 And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. 6 And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.
Next, Matthew 24 cites the following:
and pestilences,
Compare to Revelation 6’s opening of Seal Four.
Revelation 6:7 And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. 8 And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
In verse 8, the reference to being killed with “death” is rendered in other translations to be plague or pestilence.
Next, Matthew 24 refers to the following:
and earthquakes, in divers places.
Compare to Revelation 6’s opening of the Sixth Seal.
Revelation 6:12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; 13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. 14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places.
And how does Jesus describe all these things in Matthew 24, the opening of these Seal judgments which directly correlate to Revelation 6 and the beginning of Daniel’s 70th Week?
Matthew 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Now let us re-read 1 Thessalonians 5:3 with this understanding in mind.
1 Thessalonians 5:3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
Sudden destruction = travail upon a woman with child = the beginning of sorrows
Read on to see this “beginning of sorrows” specifically described in the last verses of Revelation 6.
Revelation 6:15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
All the Seal judgments are opened on Day One of Daniel’s 70th Week.
They represent an overview of everything that will be happening during the entire 2,520 days leading up to Jesus’s return.
It is for this reason, we are told all of them comprise the “beginning” of sorrows, and that when all of them are opened, the whole world knows the great day of his wrath “is” come.
When Revelation 6’s Seal judgments are opened, the whole world will know judgment has started.
But this brings me to one important point.
We only saw six Seals opened in Revelation 6, but there are seven Seals in total.
If all seven are opened on Day One of the 70th Week, what other events occur on that day which we have not yet seen?
Those answers are provided in Revelation 7 and give us another direct link to Nisan 10.
Technically, we do not see the opening of Seal Seven until Revelation 8.
Revelation 8:1 And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.
Therefore, we know the contents of Revelation 7 in their entirety occur between the opening of Seals Six and Seven, and on Day One of Daniel’s 70th Week.
In the last verse of Revelation 6, we were left with a question.
Revelation 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
We find the answer to that question in Revelation 7.
There are two groups of people, in fact, who shall be able to stand during the dispensation of the wrath of the Lamb.
And please understand, the whole of Daniel’s 70th Week is wrath, not just the last half.
That is why it is so important to understand all Seal Judgments are opened on Day One, and from that point forward, we are told the great day of His wrath is come.
All. Of. The. 70th. Week. Is. Wrath.
I just want to make that really clear.
Let us read on in Revelation 7 to find what groups of people shall be able to stand.
Revelation 7:1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. 2 And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, 3 Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. 4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. 5 Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. 6 Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nephthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. 7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. 8 Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
Revelation 7 opens by stating the winds of judgment associated to the first four Trumpets in Revelation 8 are specifically being held at bay until an action can be accomplished.
This action will impact a specific group of people still on earth during the 70th Week.
These are the 144,000 evangelists who will receive the seal of God in their foreheads for their entire earthly ministry.
Said earthly ministry will comprise the entire first half of Daniel’s 70th Week.
Their redemption from earth is witnessed in Revelation 14 where they are seen standing on heavenly Mount Sion alongside Jesus.
For the great day of his wrath is come, and who shall be able to stand?
The first group is the sealed 144,000 who will still be on earth and who will have a God-given mission to accomplish.
They will be supernaturally protected by God in order to accomplish this mission and thus able to stand the wrath of the Lamb.
Who is the other group who will be able to stand?
The redeemed church, of course.
Revelation 3:10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.
The second group of people who can stand are those who will not be on earth any longer.
The hour of temptation = Daniel’s 70th Week tries those who dwell upon the earth.
These people will be removed from earth so they do not have to go through it.
Revelation 4 and 5 show the representative portion in the heavenly throne room by way of showing us the elders.
Revelation 4:4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.
The elders represent a priesthood, going back to the establishment of the Old Testament priesthood by David. The number “24” lends back to 1 Chronicles 24.
1 Chronicles 24:1 Now these are the divisions of the sons of Aaron. The sons of Aaron; Nadab, and Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 2 But Nadab and Abihu died before their father, and had no children: therefore Eleazar and Ithamar executed the priest’s office. 3 And David distributed them, both Zadok of the sons of Eleazar, and Ahimelech of the sons of Ithamar, according to their offices in their service. 4 And there were more chief men found of the sons of Eleazar than of the sons of Ithamar, and thus were they divided. Among the sons of Eleazar there were sixteen chief men of the house of their fathers, and eight among the sons of Ithamar according to the house of their fathers.
Revelation 4:4 also tells us the elders are clothed in white raiment. This qualifies them as overcomers.
Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment…
And they had on their heads crowns of gold.
This tells us these elders do not belong to an Old Testament priesthood, but to the New Testament priesthood. The royal priesthood.
Revelation 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, 6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
Revelation 5:8 And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. 9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
1 Peter 2:4 To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, 5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. 6 Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded. 7 Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner, 8 And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed. 9 But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; 10 Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
Call them elders, or royal priesthood, or body of Christ, or church.
The presence of this group of 24 in heaven in Revelation 4 and 5 represents that the event which redeems them from earth has already occurred before any Seals are opened in Revelation 6.
And this redemption occurred before John was invited to “Come up hither” by Christ to witness the first events of the “hereafter”, or unfulfilled prophecy.
How do we know that?
Because John does not see them arrive.
He sees them already there.
It may be splitting hairs, but it is worth noting.
Additionally, that the elders are shown seated in the throne room also represents fulfillment of what we find in Ephesians 2.
Ephesians 2:6 And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: 7 That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
Who else is with the elders in the heavenly throne room? Why, the rest of the redeemed royal priesthood, of course. Those who, per the promise in Revelation 3:10, were removed from earth for the entirety of the 70th Week.
Revelation 7:9 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; 10 And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. 11 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, 12 Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. 13 And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? 14 And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Just as the elders were seen having white raiment, so too do these people.
This makes them overcomers, as well.
Verse 14 tells us these are they who came out of, or were kept out of, great tribulation.
Please don’t get too caught up thinking this means they are only going to be spared from the second half of the Week, because clearly if they are being seen in the throne room on Day One, that means they will still be in the throne room on Day 1261, too.
But the direct tie we have to the timing of this first day of Daniel’s 70th Week is noted in verse 9.
The redeemed royal priesthood has palms in their hands.
Before we discuss that, let us continue in Revelation 7 to see more language which indicates this group is the redeemed church.
Revelation 7:15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
The redeemed royal priesthood is being seen in heaven doing, you guessed it… priestly duties!
How else do we know this is the church?
Revelation 7:16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. 17 For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.
They are in glorified bodies with no more sin nature and no recollection of anything sinful.
There is only one event which allows that to occur – the rapture of the church.
The elders, along with the whole of the royal priesthood, were redeemed from the earth.
Revelation 5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; 10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
They came face to face with Jesus and were changed into the same glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: 17 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.
2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.
They were taken to the Father’s house in their new bodies to bypass the events of the 70th Week since they are not appointed to judgment.
John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.
Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
Here, they will serve God before His throne day and night and celebrate having been received into the Father’s Kingdom, which at this point will still be in heaven.
Revelation 7:15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.
Seven years later, they will come back with Jesus to establish the Kingdom on earth and rule and reign with Him for 1,000 years.
Revelation 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
Zechariah 14:4 And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. 5 And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
Revelation 2:26 And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: 27 And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father.
Having said all that, we will now come back to the fact that the redeemed church is seen with palms in their hands.
Which other day in history was anyone seen waving palms and praising Jesus?
Matthew 21:1 And when they drew nigh unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, 2 Saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them, and bring them unto me. 3 And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. 4 All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, 5 Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. 6 And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them, 7 And brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. 8 And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. 9 And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the son of David: Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest.
This is the day famously known as “Palm Sunday”, which was also the last day of the first 69 Weeks of years, according to Daniel’s prophecy.
It was Nisan 10.
Thus, it would stand to reason a resumption of the final Week of years would begin from that same day.
Accordingly, in Revelation 7, we see another group of people praising the King and welcoming the Kingdom on that same day and in the same manner.
The only differences are these are not the Jews, and the Kingdom is not yet on earth.
Matthew 21:42 Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43 Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.
Nisan 10 marks the first day of the 70th Week, as seen in Revelation 7.
Nisan 10 marks the first day of the 70th Week, which is also the beginning of the “final” jubilee year, as seen in Ezekiel 40 with the construction of Ezekiel’s temple.
This mirrors Revelation 11:1.
Nisan 10 will begin the final sabbatical cycle which correlates to Daniel’s 70th Week.
When Jesus returns in Zechariah 14, His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, and He will proceed via the same path He took thousands of years ago into the temple court and anoint the most Holy, according to Ezekiel 43:5.
This will be His second Triumphal Entry.
If the 70th Week begins on Nisan 10, it would follow that the return of Christ would be on that same date seven years later.
Israel did not select the Lamb as her Savior and King the first time, but she will the second time.
Zechariah 12:10 And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.
Zechariah 13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.
Revelation 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.
The following verses from Revelation 19 show Israel’s corporate acceptance of Jesus will precede His return to earth.
Revelation 19:7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready. 8 And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.
We have already learned circumcision of the flesh was necessary for Israel to be able to partake of the Passover.
Please refer to Bible Typologies: Joshua Leading the Israelites to Cross River Jordan article, for a discussion on how the rapture might occur during Passover.
Where the Israelites crossed over river Jordan into the promised land celebrating Passover there on Nissan 10, which is a typology of the church entering into heaven celebrating our Passover and our great Passover feast in heaven.
However, the circumcision Israel must undergo in the last days is that of the heart, not of the flesh.
Jeremiah 4:1 If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the LORD, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove. 2 And thou shalt swear, The LORD liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall they glory. 3 For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. 4 Circumcise yourselves to the LORD, and take away the foreskins of your heart, ye men of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem: lest my fury come forth like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings. 5 Declare ye in Judah, and publish in Jerusalem; and say, Blow ye the trumpet in the land: cry, gather together, and say, Assemble yourselves, and let us go into the defenced cities. 6 Set up the standard toward Zion: retire, stay not: for I will bring evil from the north, and a great destruction. 7 The lion is come up from his thicket, and the destroyer of the Gentiles is on his way; he is gone forth from his place to make thy land desolate; and thy cities shall be laid waste, without an inhabitant. 8 For this gird you with sackcloth, lament and howl: for the fierce anger of the LORD is not turned back from us. 9 And it shall come to pass at that day, saith the LORD, that the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder.
Joel 2:11 And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? 12 Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: 13 And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. 14 Who knoweth if he will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him; even a meat offering and a drink offering unto the LORD your God? 15 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly: 16 Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. 17 Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? 18 Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people. 19 Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen: 20 But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things.
Please refer to Joel 2:31 article, for a discussion on Joel too, of the “day of the Lord”.
And also 2 Thess 2:3 article, for similar discussion of “day of the Lord”, or “day of Christ”, in Thessalonians.
And then the Lord comes back.
Revelation 19:11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
Joel 2:21 Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things. 22 Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength. 23 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.
The former rain is a reference to Christ, and the latter rain is a reference to the Spirit.
Indeed, as we have already discussed, His Second Coming will most assuredly be in the first month.
Jeremiah 32:37 Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely: 38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: 39 And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them: 40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.
Please refer to Isa 41 article, Hos 6:2 article, Joel 2:28-29 article, for how God will gather Israel back her homeland, give them a new heart to follow Him wholeheartedly, and pour out his spirit on them.
That the marriage supper of the Lamb will occur immediately after judgment is rendered is evidenced Revelation 19. More than likely, the marriage supper of the Lamb will coincide with the Passover.
Revelation 19:9 And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. 11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. 12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God. 14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.
There are two parables in Matthew 25 which refer to the spiritual condition of people on the day of Christ’s return.
That spiritual condition will determine whether one is bid entry into the Kingdom or turned away from it.
The first of the two parables in Matthew 25 is that of the ten virgins, and it specifically regards entrance into the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Matthew 25:1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. 3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: 4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. 5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. 6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. 7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out. 9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut. 11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. 13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Understanding which people group is in view in the parable of the ten virgins has caused a problem for more than a few.
Luke 12 further clarifies this context for those who might be uncertain.
Luke 12:35 Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning; 36 And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding; that when he cometh and knocketh, they may open unto him immediately. 37 Blessed are those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
The above verses are likely related to the following prophecy spoken by Jesus at the last supper.
Matthew 26:26 And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. 27 And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; 28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. 29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.
The second parable in Matthew 25 is that of the talents.
Two were faithful while their master had been away, and one was not.
Therefore, two were bid entry into the Millennial Kingdom, and one was not.
Matthew 25:14 For the kingdom of heaven is as a man travelling into a far country, who called his own servants, and delivered unto them his goods. 15 And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one; to every man according to his several ability; and straightway took his journey. 16 Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and made them other five talents. 17 And likewise he that had received two, he also gained other two. 18 But he that had received one went and digged in the earth, and hid his lord’s money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants cometh, and reckoneth with them. 20 And so he that had received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five talents more. 21 His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 22 He also that had received two talents came and said, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them. 23 His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord. 24 Then he which had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed: 25 And I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. 26 His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: 27 Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. 28 Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. 29 For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath. 30 And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
It is only fitting to wrap up this discussion of when the Lord’s Second Coming will be with discussion of what information we can and cannot know.
There are several verses included above, and even more from Matthew 24, that seem to state we cannot or will not know the timing of the Second Coming.
But is that really what those verses are saying?
Learning what the Lord has to teach us is much easier to do when verses are studied in context.
The attitudes and beliefs we take into our study will determine what we allow ourselves to get out of it.
There are a good many people who believe we should not study the Bible with an aim toward finding out specifics, that we should be satisfied with generalities.
I am not one of those people.
The entire Bible contains God’s plans for the past, present, and future.
The one thing I have come to understand very explicitly is that God does not want us to be unaware, at all, of His intentions toward us.
That includes the timing of His plans.
Yes, people have been wrong in the past when they tried to figure things out.
People continue to be wrong as they try to figure things out.
I have been wrong as I have tried to figure things out.
Learning is a process.
On the surface, it would seem from a few verses in Matthew 24 and 25 that the timing of the Second Coming is unknowable.
Below are a few verses which would seem to support such a conclusion.
Matthew 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
Matthew 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
Matthew 24:44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
Matthew 25:13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Matthew 24:36, Matthew 24:42, and Matthew 25:13 contain language about “knowing” the day and hour of the return of Christ.
All three verses contain the same Greek word “oida” which means “to have seen or perceived, hence to know”.
The verses do not suggest the timing of the Second Coming is unknowable.
Rather, they tell us the events of the Second Coming will be comprehendible in real-time only.
There is no way for anyone to fully understand what will occur on that day outside of being present to visually witness it, because no reference point exists for an event which has never happened before.
Those who will be alive on earth at that time are instructed to watch so they are aware of the signs leading up to and including Jesus’s Second Coming.
Matthew 24:44 is slightly different. It regards those who are unfaithful and not watching.
Below are additional verses for context.
Matthew 24:43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. 45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
2 Peter 3 explains the mindset of those who “think not” a bit better.
2 Peter 3:1 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: 2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: 3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
And in fact 1 Thess 5:1-2, tells us that of the times and seasons where Jesus comes again / the rapture, we would know perfectly the times and seasons brethren when it is.
That the day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night.
And those who are not in Christ, or believers who are not watchful will be caught off guard, on this event.
And beloved, we are definitely in the season of his coming, having being the generation that “shall not pass away” until the fig tree comes to life, representing how Israel would come together as a nation in 1948.
Please refer to 2 Thess 2:3 article, for a recap on Israel coming together as a nation.
So let’s keep watching, and just have a sense of awareness, led by the Holy Spirt the times and seasons we live in.
Also to add when Matt 24:43, says that if the master of the house would have known what watch the thief would come, there are actually several watches to divide the hours in the night.
In the ancient times, these watches function as unit of time to divide the night.
There is the evening watch, midnight watch, cockcrow watch, and morning watch.
So in Matt 25, the parable of the ten virgins, the bridegroom came at the midnight watch, where only five wise virgins had enough oil to keep their lamps burning.
Oil represents the fire, and fervency for Jesus Christ.
So these five were found faithful, serving the Lord at all times, and till he came.
So although yes we would not know exactly when and at “what watch” Jesus would come again, but we believers would know the time and seasons that it is near now.
So let’s be found faithful in His house as His servants, putting on sackcloth of repentance if need be and start walking in His ways and calling for us.
If we have the mindset of the evil servant that says my Lord is delayed in his coming, or it’s been 2000 years already and be like those scoffers in 2 Pet 3:4 mocking where is the promise of his coming, we would be sorry if he comes and finds us unprepared.
So being children of light, we are not in darkness, in bondage, sin and iniquity serving Satan, like the rest of the world.
We carry that light of the hope of glory Jesus in us, like how 2 Cor 4:7 puts it, we have this treasure in earthen vessels.
So amidst the darkness of this world, we are like lights emanating from our hearts, which are the jars / vessels talked about in the verse.
When most people are not watching, at night, this is the time Jesus will come again for his faithful.
So let’s consistently keep our eyes and affections, on Jesus, walking in holiness and purity, as we see the day of His coming approaching soon, and let’s get ready for his coming to take us home, amen.
