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• The Rapture stands alone in Scripture. Nothing must occur to pre-date the catching away of His saints. He talks about the Rapture at the end of the chapter because of these very facts and as a point of hope in the midst of everything that will soon happen. There is no reason to be gloomy, because at the appointed time the Lord of the church will call for His chosen.
• The signs of the end are not connected to the Rapture because no sign is necessary for Him to come. The signs pre-date the Tribulation and His Second Coming to reign on earth, not to Rapture His saints.
• The glorious Hope of Israel and her future glory is His coming to reign in Jerusalem. That was the central idea these disciples needed to hear and the center of this time of conversation together.
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Joseph Chambers
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Two in the Field: One Taken and One Left: (A Study In Matthew 24) by Dr. Joseph Chambers
Have you considered someone, say a young lady, in the hands of one of the antiChrist brigades forcing her to take the Mark of the Beast?
This beast of a
man will hold up the mark and promise liberty if she will submit. But
she knows better and keeps refusing. This homosexual beast then rapes,
sodomizes, and treats her with his great scorn. Finally he tells her she
will never leave his presence alive without the Mark. She knows to
submit is eternal hell but she is at the point of insanity. Is she
capable of enduring the ultimate rage of this homosexual beast or must
she submit? This is a very light picture of the hell that awaits anyone
missing the Rapture.
The Son of Man never spoke with more authority or with greater prophetic beauty than as recorded in St. Matthews’ chapter 24.
He clearly outlined a series of end time events and the depth of the
impact that would occur. His disciples had asked Him a three-part
question and He answered those questions giving vivid details. In the
process He gave complete authentication to the Book of Daniel in the
First Testament and placed the seventh week of Daniel dramatically at
the end of the church dispensation. This chapter in the Bible is
clearly one that every saint of God should understand and quote often.
It is potent truth. Do not expect a chronological order as you read
this chapter because it was not given as one would write a book.
The Book of Revelation was given to John in a book form and he was told to write it as such. “Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter.” (Revelation 1:19)
He was even told the order in which to write it because our Lord was
giving him a chronological picture. The Book of Revelation is the
summing up of all the different eschatological (future) teachings in the
Holy Bible.
The book of Matthew was an oral teaching that Matthew wrote down some years after it was spoken.
The Lord Jesus answered three questions and literally discussed the
signs that would occur leading up to the end. He also talked about the
great Seven Year Tribulation, His Second Coming to earth, and the
gathering of Israel at that time. After painting a rather bleak
picture, He then began to talk about the mystery of the Rapture and the
faithful servants that would be blessed to escape the dark hellish
Tribulation.
One of the reasons that the book of Matthew is often grossly misinterpreted is the order in which it was given.
The Lord was having a casual conversation with His disciples. He was
the Master Teacher and after giving them a picture of things which were
going to occur, He then spoke personally about their hope and the
promise to His saints that they were not to be judged with the wicked.
That is the clear reason why the idea of the Rapture was discussed after
He told them of the Tribulation. Surely any minister that preaches a
sermon about future things will end by telling the people how to make
sure they escape.
Let’s put this great chapter in a kind of chronological order to help all of us understand. Jesus ends this great lesson to His disciples by giving them a warning mixed with assurance of escape. He stated,
“But of that day and hour (Notice how clearly He set this portion of the
lesson apart from the teachings He had already given.) knoweth no man,
no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. But as the days of
Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the
days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying
and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And
knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also
the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the
one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at
the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore:
for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come. 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. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think
not the Son of man cometh.” (Matthew 24:36-44)
The ending verse in
this section settles forever that the hope of the saints is to be those
that escape when He comes. Verse 42 says, “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” (Matthew 24:42), while verse 44 warns, “Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.” (Matthew 24:44) I
have heard the erroneous idea that this is not the Rapture at all, but
the wicked that are removed and the saints are left. Why did He say
then, “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” (Matthew 24:42)
Surely, no one believed the Lord is coming to get the wicked to carry
away with Himself and the saints to be left here for the judgment to
come.
Comparing Noah’s day with the day of the Rapture is wonderful support for the subject He was teaching.
The spirit of Noah’s day was sinful and careless living; and Jesus
stated the same would be true of this promised occasion. This line of
thinking fits no other event that relates to the end of the world. The
wickedness that characterizes the Tribulation Period is far greater and
described with totally different language. They cannot be seen as
dealing with the same period.
The
language of “two” people being in a given place with one taken and one
left would have no significance if it was not speaking about the Rapture
of the righteous. It certainly would have no bearing on the
kind of alert and careful living He was seeking to promote among His
disciples. To use this kind of thought outside the context of the
Lord’s coming to get His own bride would sound ridiculous. Twisting the
Lord’s lesson of truth about the end is carelessly treated when men
make unclear arguments out of such a simple, straightforward statement.
Jesus meant exactly what He said.
The last seven verses of this chapter follow perfectly the above understanding.
Once He establishes this great warning of the sudden Rapture to get the
overcoming saints, He speaks clearly about them as faithful wise
servants. Look at His words, “Who
then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over
his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that
servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Verily I say
unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if
that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with
the drunken; The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he
looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And shall
cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there
shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 24:45-51)
It is foolish to try and connect these words to any other idea but the Rapture. Notice, “Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.”
Our modern theology has so watered down the requirements for the Rapture
that it is no wonder that they want to deny the Rapture in this context
of verses. Anything with a religious label is being treated as Rapture
ready material. These verses destroy such nonsense. The saint of God
that meets the Lord in the air, the one taken in the presence of one
left, is holy language warning this untoward generation to return to the
cross and the crucifixion of the flesh. If we do not, we shall join
the “left” crowd on that awesome day.
The Signs Of The End
Now,
if we clearly understand the last portion of this chapter (verses
36-51) as a kind of separated and closing warning, then the first part
of this great text can be clearly placed in focus. The master
Teacher had told of dark things, but His deep concern was His disciples
and all future saints. We must always understand the sinister acts of
men and Satan will be followed by the victory of His kingdom and His
chosen ones. That is exactly how He ended this chapter.
As He begins the lesson
following the disciple’s question, He first dealt with the signs of
impending wickedness. Read carefully His words,
“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive
you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall
deceive many. 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: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes,
in divers places. All these are the beginning of sorrows. Then shall
they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be
hated of all nations for my name’s sake. And then shall many be
offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. And
many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because
iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that
shall endure unto the end, the same 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.” (Matthew 24:4-14)
Any simple interpretation and historical insight will confirm every one of these signs from that day to this.
The significant things are the escalating of each of them. Whether it
is wars and rumors of wars or nations against nations, they have
increased in both frequency and scale of destruction. Since the 20th
Century began, each war has brought a new level of destruction and
terror. At present there are enough “germ warfare materials” in storage
to wipe off every human being from planet earth. When you multiply
that by “nuclear armaments” and other modern technologies, our world has
become a powder keg.
A simple look at what the nation of Russia and her close allies have ready for employment is scary beyond description.
Add to that modern China, India, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, and a few other
large or third world nations and our future looks bleak. Jesus was
giving us a picture to watch as time progressed toward the countdown
hour.
Now, move to the idea of false teachers and prophets deceiving men. Jesus clearly stated, “For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.” (Matthew 24:5)
This statement is quite revealing. He is clearly saying that false
prophets will come in His name saying that He is Christ, but will be
deceiving the people at the same time. The Catholic Church has been
doing this since the third century, but never has the Protestant world
been so totally inundated with this kind of deception. The day has come
that the evangelical world is almost as deceiving and apostate as the
Harlot of Rome.
Every verse in this section is a picture of escalating evidence.
Famines and earthquakes are increasing with fury. Pestilences or
infectious diseases are encircling the globe. The horror stories about
AIDS are the modern black plague. “Road Rage” alone describes the
following verse, “And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.” (Matthew 24:10) This doesn’t even count the rest of the story.
Jesus certainly gives a different picture of this closing hour than most ministers are determined to preach.
Almost every minister I research is talking about a great revival before
the Lord comes. Good men that are clearly preaching the gospel have
accepted some kind of dream of a latter rain outpouring and a worldwide
harvest. The Lord gives a different sense when He said, “And
many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because
iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that
shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” (Matthew 24:11-13)
I
am committed to doing everything possible for the harvest, but it will
be “showers of blessings” in the midst of “torrential religious
deception.” It will not be what most are prophesying.
One sure promise concludes this list of signs. “The gospel will never be silenced.”
Right down until the end our Lord will have a remnant that preaches and
teaches truth in the midst of deadly enemies and angry truth haters. He
promised that no man could take away the truth from the World.
“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.” (Matthew
24:14)
Jesus said it again to the Rapture ready church of Philadelphia.
“I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no
man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word,
and hast not denied my name.” (Revelation 3:8)
The Unparalleled “Seven Years”
The
signs that we have just read are “God-given evidences” that the world
is progressing toward utter moral and spiritual bankruptcy. The
signs are sure proof that God must judge the world and redeem the cosmos
before His Second Coming to establish His kingdom. In the Rapture He
comes only as far down as the midair and we are caught up to meet Him;
but when the Tribulation Period is complete, the world will be ready to
receive Him in all His holiness and splendor.
As Jesus spoke of this period of worldwide tribulation, He begins His explanation in the middle of the seven years.
The “Abomination of Desolation” is a Daniel term that sets a “seven year
period” as the final judgment of a wicked world. Jesus then describes
this period as “unparalleled” in all of human history. Please read
these words of our Lord carefully.
“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:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of
his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take
his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that
give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the
winter, neither on the sabbath day: For then shall be great
tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this
time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened,
there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days
shall be shortened. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is
Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs,
and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch
that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I
have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he
is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers;
believe it not.” (Matthew 24:15-26)
Jesus was Jewish and spoke in Jewish terminology. You see that in verse 20. “But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day.” (Matthew 24:20) It is clear that this period is shattering to the entire world. Notice again these words.
“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the
beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except
those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for
the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.” (Matthew 24:21-22)
This is not persecution that all of us endure and which will continue to escalate.
This is tribulation or the “Act of God’s Judgment.” Please understand
the difference between “persecution” and “tribulation.” “Persecution”
is the lot of every saint of God. “Tribulation” is God’s divine
redemption of the world system and the cleansing of the very earth,
atmosphere, and human domain. Holiness will become the character of the
culture over which the Lord Jesus Himself shall reign with His saints.
One
of the most dangerous things about this period of judgment is the
constant presence of an antiChrist person claiming to be the real Son of
God. This is the very essence of what this period will
represent. The devil will sit in the churches claiming to be God and
will be worshipped as the same. No wonder Jesus said, “Then
if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it
not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and
shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible,
they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before.
Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go
not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.”
(Matthew 24:23-26)
The
most sinister thing about the period just before the Rapture and during
the Seven Years is the presence of deception so false and so real that
it is almost impossible to discern. The Unholy Trinity, as seen in Revelation 12 and 13, will accomplish their greatest hours of masquerade.
Suddenly The King Returns In His Glory
While this masquerade
of Satan, his antiChrist, and anti-spirit are at their zenith of power
and deception, the wrath of God will reach its fullness. Suddenly,
“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.” (Matthew 24:27).
This is not His Rapture of the saints, but His return in the glory of
His coming kingdom. Read the following as Jesus now describes His
return to establish His kingdom. “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: 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. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a
trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds,
from one end of heaven to the other. Now learn a parable of the fig
tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know
that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these
things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you,
This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled.
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”
(Matthew 24:29-35) What a picture!
This part of the discussion between Jesus and His disciples was probably the centerpiece of this conversation.
They had believed that Jesus came to set up His kingdom and this idea
was still misunderstood even after His resurrection. In these words
they hear the kind of assurance from Him that their questions were
really all about. These disciples wanted to know about the “end” and
“His Coming” to reign on this earth. Everything else in this chapter is
incidental to the establishing of His kingdom on this earth, which
would fulfill the Hope of Israel.
Imagine the following intriguing words of this piece of the conversation and the lesson that Jesus taught them. “And
he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they
shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of
heaven to the other.” (Matthew 24:31) That statement is totally
for the Jewish. When He defeats the antiChrist army and secures the
peace of Jerusalem, He will send His angels to gather the Jews still
dispersed around the world and they will be redeemed as a nation. Many
people try to make this chapter either all for the Jewish or all for the
Gentile. It is neither, but it is all-inclusive for the Jews and
Gentiles.
At this point the Jewish nation will be saved and reign in the Promise Land as the Lord promised to Abraham and David. From Jerusalem they will bless the world and share in leading the world to the Glory of God intended in the beginning.
The
Bride of Christ from His church will rule the world (excluding
Jerusalem and the Land of Promise) and reign as kings and priests. The entire cosmos will have the character of His holiness and the cultures of each nation will be redeemed.
Conclusion
This chapter is all about the end and His coming to reign in His kingdom.
Jesus did not intend to give it as He did the Book of Revelation. It
was intended to be encouraging to His disciples and to assure them that
His death was not the end. He would return to reign with them on this
earth. It is no wonder that Matthew 24 has always been a centerpiece in
any discussion about eschatology. It is controversial because
different theological systems have different ideas to try to prove.
When all the arguments are silent and we read this great discussion
between Jesus and His disciples at face value and in context with the
rest of the Gospels, it is extremely clear and easy to understand.
Remember these simple things:
• The Rapture stands alone in Scripture. Nothing must occur to pre-date the catching away of His saints. He talks about the Rapture at the end of the chapter because of these very facts and as a point of hope in the midst of everything that will soon happen. There is no reason to be gloomy, because at the appointed time the Lord of the church will call for His chosen.
• The signs of the end are not connected to the Rapture because no sign is necessary for Him to come. The signs pre-date the Tribulation and His Second Coming to reign on earth, not to Rapture His saints.
• The glorious Hope of Israel and her future glory is His coming to reign in Jerusalem. That was the central idea these disciples needed to hear and the center of this time of conversation together.
Matthew 24, and it’s over!
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Best regards,
Joseph Chambers
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