In Matthew 24, Jesus was asked by His disciples what to look for for His return and what would the last days look like.
Briefly, this is the very broad order He gave; and He left the smaller details to the prophets to greatly expound upon, in tremendous detail.
Let’s look broadly. The disciples asked three questions and Jesus answers the three questions. Here we go:
Jesus starts by telling them the temple will be destroyed so that not one stone is left on another. This happened in 70 AD. When Titus the Roman came and destroyed the temple. It has never been rebuilt.
After Jesus told them of the temple destruction, the disciples said 1- when? 2-What is the sign of Your coming ( 2nd coming)? 3-When is the end of the world?
Here is our answer in very broad strokes. If we use this as our foundation, we can begin to construct in detail the rest of the building so to speak… the details.
The destruction of the Temple has occurred…done. Next in line is the sign of His coming. He said this: there will be many false Christs, believe them not. There will be wars and rumors of wars. Not yet. Don’t be troubled when these come because this is not the end. We can say this has been fulfilled for 2000 years.
Then Jesus says nation will rise up against nation. That has been ongoing. Next He said very specifically there will be famines, pestilences and earth quakes in diverse places…THESE THINGS are the beginning of sorrows. In other words… these 3 things are the signs of His coming. They are the precursors to look for.
Alongside these things Christians will be killed. They will be hated by and in all nations (happening now more than ever in history).
People will be easily offended. They will hate each other. False prophets will deceive many. Iniquity will increase. Because sin increases, love decreases. Where there is sin, there is not Agape…God’s love.
The gospel will be preached in all nations ( this has been done). Even if someone wanted to point out a pagan people or nation, we cannot conclusively say that this has not occurred because there is a supernatural element that we cannot know of. Jesus may have already gone to these people without the world knowing. In dreams, visions and visitations.
Included in this last statement on timing, is the gospel being received by the nation of Israel… their blindness being removed. That will happen in the last 3.5 years before Jesus returns and ushers in the millennial Kingdom. So this is included in the last thing before His return.
So then we see Jesus speaking to Israel particularly because at the 3.5 year mark, the mature believers are raptured.
So we are in Matthew 24: 15. Jesus has just said that before the end, the whole world would have heard the gospel. This statement includes the last 3.5 years of Israel’s un-blinding and coming to Christ. But there is more information He wants to give us that happens right after the rapture but before the second coming.
Matthew 24:15 says, When you see the abomination of desolation that Daniel the prophet warned of…flee to the mountains. This is when Israel is unblinded and sent to Petra to be sheltered while the wrath of God is released on the world for unbelief. We know this is the very day antichrist is revealed as Antichrist. This is the 3.5 year mark. How do we know. The Bible tells us that in the middle of the 7 year last period, the antiChrist has been in power already as a peacemaker to the world. He has been in disguise. He has been here but no one knows who he really is because he is a great peacemaker who arrives when the earth was in great turmoil.
Paul tells us also that the church is gathered until Israel is unblinded. Antichrist is revealed as Antichrist the minute Israel is unblinded. This is what un blinds them. The man of perdition, lawlessness, Antichrist, sets himself up in the temple of God and says he is God. Then Israel is protected for the last 3.5 years. This is the Great tribulation.
The last 7 years are not tribulation. The first half is false peace brought to a world that is reeling from the beginnings of sorrows Jesus spoke of. What are the beginnings of sorrows right before antichrist comes as a peacemaker? 1-pestilence 2-famine, 3- earthquakes in diverse places.
We see all 3 in full blown occurrence today 3/22/20.
From Matthew 24:15-32 we see basically instructions to Israel on how to make it through till Jesus returns to gather His elect. This elect is Israel only. Here’s why: Paul tells us that once the mature believers are raptured, the great lie sets in so that no one but Israel can believe.
The lukewarm church who has been thrust into the Great Tribulation, has already been martyred, beheaded for their faith in Jesus before the rapture. They were left on earth and did not go in the first resurrection. They are believers just the same but not the Bride. They are a friend of the bride. They will not dwell in New Jerusalem but on the New Earth only. They will be able to visit New Jerusalem but not dwell there. They are in the family of God, one flock, but with different rolls in the millennium and in eternity.
Now in verse 32, Jesus says this: In the same way when a fig tree puts forth leaves we know that Summer is close ( figs, fruit bearing); likewise, when you see all these things come to pass, know that it is near, even at the door step.
“Truly, I tell you that this generation shall not pass till all these are fulfilled”.
He goes on, but before we look at that, let’s answer a few questions that arise from the above statements.
Why a fig tree? A fig tree is used to refer to Israel.
Jesus is speaking to believers here and expects them to know the prophets. If we do, we know what He means by when the fig tree is blossoming. “Behold, can a nation be built in a day?” The fig tree blossoming refers to the last and final gathering of Israel as a nation again in the land. This happened just like the prophets said it would, in a single day, in 1948.
Jesus said once you see the nation Israel gathered again as a nation in the land, that generation (most likely 70-80 years) will not pass away until all of the things He just told us, happen or are fulfilled. 2020-1948=72 years.
Now a generation in the Bible roughly refers to the life span of man. Right now it is around 72-73 years of age. So the life span of the generation alive when Israel became a nation, is around 70 or so years.
Psalm 90:10 says this: “For the days of our years are three score years and 10 (70), and if by reason of strength they be for score (80).
So clearly, the generation of man in our day is between 70-80 years. We are 72 years along since the nation Israel was regathered in 1948. We are right at it.