Trinity Baptist Church

The Last Days According to Jesus

Sound the Trumpet!

Matthew 24:29-35

 

The most significant event in Bible prophecy is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. It is an event so important that there are over 300 separate prophecies relating to it in the Word of God, making it one of the most important doctrines in the Bible. It is the key that unlocks the door that leads to the future. No Christian can be said to have a well-rounded faith who does not understand the basic truth about the Second Coming of Christ. All the roads of history and prophecy converge at this point.

 

David Jeremiah notes that “for every biblical prophecy on the first coming of Christ, there are eight concerning his second coming.” This ought to alert us to the importance of our topic. Christians have always believed that one day Christ will return to the earth. It is the climax of our creeds and the final proof of the sovereignty of God over human history. His coming will bring an end to this age and usher in the coming kingdom of Christ. His return will bring us the final stage of our redemption, the culmination of all that God has promised to those who love his Son.

 

I should also note that while Christians have always believed in the return of Christ, they have often disagreed over the details. In our day there is great debate over how the Rapture, which we are toldl about in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, relates to the Second Coming that we read about in other places like our text today.

Some see them as the same event. Others see them as separate events.  Some say they occur three three-and-a-half years apart.  Others maintain it is seven.  Some say Christians go through the tribulation; others say we are delivered from it.

 

Some describe themselves pre-millennial, some are post millennial or amillennial.  You’ll hear descriptions like pre-tribulation rapturists.  Others are post-trib or mid-trib. And many Christians are like the man who said he was “pan-trib,” meaning he believes it’s all going to “pan out” in the end. He’s certainly right that God’s plan will ultimately come to pass.

 

Essentially the issue comes down to the fact that the New Testament presents the truth of the Second Coming in various passages that offer different pictures of the return of Christ. Those pictures (or images, if you will) are not entirely the same. No one passage tells us everything. No matter which view you hold, you have to think about how Matthew 24 relates to I & II Thessalonians and how those passages relate to the book of Revelation.

 

We must assess Old Testament teaching in light of the New Testament and remember that promises made to the Jews aren’t necessarily binding on the church.  It can really become a complicated mixture of thought and theology.  So what I want to do this morning is give you my assessment of what Scripture teaches us about the subject of the return of Christ.

 

 

 

Keep in mind this is not an exhaustive study of the subject, but rather an overview in light of our study of Matthew 24 and 25 on what Jesus taught regarding the last days.

 

Most conservative Bible students (myself included) believe that Christ’s return will occur in two stages.  This is usually called the “Pre-Tribulation Rapture” view. That is, we believe Christ will come before the Tribulation to resurrect dead Christians and to “rapture” or lift off the earth living believers.

 

Those Christians who are raised or raptured will be taken to heaven where their works will be judged.  This “Judgment Seat of Christ” will be followed by the “Marriage Supper of the Lamb”.

 

While this is going on in heaven, the horrors of the seven-year Tribulation will unfold on the earth. The Antichrist will be revealed and he will commit the “abomination that causes desolation” that we read about last week.  That will occur at the midpoint of the Tribulation.

 

The last three-and-a-half years will be marked by a succession of judgments that result in the near-total destruction of human society. When humanity, having chosen to follow the Antichrist, has become a rotting corpse ready for final judgment, Jesus will return from heaven with the saints and angels at his side. That is, officially, the Second Coming of Christ.

 

He will defeat the Antichrist and establish his kingdom on the earth which is known as the Millennial Reign or the Millennium.

 

At the end of the Millennial Reign, the Great White Throne Judgment occurs and we find death and hell being cast into a lake of fire as a New Heaven and New earth for God’s people. 

 

Not today, I want to zero our attention on the two events called the rapture and the second coming of Christ.  One of the primary reasons I believe there are two separate and distinct events is because of the way they are described in Scripture.

 

In the Rapture, Christ comes for his saints, at the Second Coming, He comes with his saints. The Rapture takes place in the air. At the Second Coming, He returns to earth.

 

In the Rapture believers go from earth to heaven, at the Second Coming, they go from heaven to earth. At the Rapture Jesus comes to reward his people, at the Second Coming, He comes to judge the earth.

 

At the Rapture he claims his bride, while at the Second Coming, He comes with his bride. The Rapture takes place before the Tribulation; the Second Coming takes place after the Tribulation.

 

One event marks the beginning of the Tribulation, the other the end of the Tribulation and the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom.

 

At the Rapture believers are saved from the “Wrath of the Lamb,” at the Second Coming, Christ appears to bring an end to the “Wrath of the Lamb.” There are no warnings or signs indicating the Rapture is near.  It is describes as coming like a thief in the night.  There are many signs of the Second Coming at the end of the Tribulation.

Now, having said all that, and while affirming that I believe these things, I also acknowledge that many respected, thoughtful Bible students do not see things this way. And I freely admit that there is no verse that says, “Christ will come before the Tribulation.”

 

There is room for discussion and debate on this topic. But in this sermon and in this series, I am teaching what I believe the Bible teaches. And I encourage you to read and study for yourself and allow God to teach you from His Word.  And I will say, I may not be right, but you better hope I am!

 

Now all of that to come back to a central thought for today:  One of the main teachings of the Bible, both Old Testament and New, is the promise of the Second Coming of Christ.

 

Jesus himself declared in John 14:3, “I will return.” When Christ ascended into heaven, the angels promised the disciples that “this same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

 

Belief in the Second Coming has always been considered one of the fundamental truths of our faith. Even though we have often argued about the details surrounding his return, Christians of every denomination have agreed on this fact: Jesus Christ is coming again.

 

I find it highly significant that three times in the final chapter of the Bible, Revelation 22:7, 12 and 20, Jesus specifically declares, “I am coming soon!.”

And the last prayer of the Bible is a prayer for the Second Coming: “Come, Lord Jesus” (Revelation 22:20).

 

And by the way, I mentioned a moment ago the announcement of the angels at the ascension that it will be “this same Jesus” who is coming again in the same way He left. Twice in one verse Luke uses the word “same” to tell us something crucial about the Second Coming. The same Jesus who left will one day return. And he will return the same way that he left.

 

If plain English can have any meaning at all, those words teach us that Jesus is coming back personally, literally, visibly and bodily. We might also add that his coming will be sudden and unexpected. Luke 24:50-52 informs us that as Jesus reached out his hands to bless his disciples, he began to rise from the face of the earth—evidently without any warning whatsoever. We can assume that his return to the earth will be no less astonishing and no less surprising.

 

This is truly an astounding thought. The same Jesus who was born in Bethlehem is coming again. The same Jesus who grew up in Nazareth is coming again. The same Jesus who turned water into wine is coming again. The same Jesus who walked on water is coming again. The same Jesus who healed the nobleman’s son is coming again.

 

The same Jesus who raised Lazarus is coming again. The same Jesus who entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday is coming again. The same Jesus who wept over Jerusalem is coming again. The same Jesus who was betrayed by Judas is coming again.

The same Jesus who was whipped, beaten, scourged, mocked, and condemned to death is coming again. The same Jesus who died on Mount Calvary is coming again. The same Jesus who rose from the dead on that first Easter Sunday morning is coming again. The same Jesus who ascended into heaven is coming again.

 

That’s what that angel meant when he said “this same Jesus” is coming again. The actual, historical figure who lived 2,000 years ago on the other side of the world is returning to the earth one more time. Kind of blows your mind, doesn’t it?

 

There awaits in the future an event more marvelous, more startling, more amazing, and more blessed than anything that has happened in the last 2,000 years. I speak of the literal, visible, bodily return of Christ to the earth. No event may seem less likely to modern men and women; no event is more certain in the light of inspired Scripture.

 

Now notice what Jesus Himself has to say about

 

 

verses 29-31

 

Fist He tells us about

 

 

verse 29a

 

 

 

Other translations use the phrase “immediately after the tribulation of those days.” In this context, the reference can only be to the coming seven-year tribulation that immediately precedes the coming of Christ to the earth.

 

Jesus has just finished warning his disciples about the Antichrist who will commit the “abomination that causes desolation” leading to a time of trouble never before seen on the earth and never to be seen again.

 

That prediction, though prefigured by the Roman conquest of Jerusalem in AD 70, has never been literally fulfilled. But in the days to come the whole world will be plunged into chaos as the Antichrist rises to power and the various judgments of Revelation are poured out on the earth. When those days have come to their appointed fearful climax, then Jesus will return to the earth.

 

Then He tells us about

 

 

 verse 29b

 

He mentions three specific cosmic signs, and then one general cosmic sigh:  l

 

 

The most important point to be made is that these are literal events that will happen in the future.

Remember what I told you last week.  We always begin by interpreting prophecy literally.  And why not?  There is no reason to interpret them symbolically.  We have every reason to believe the heavens and earth will be in absolute upheaval when the age of the age comes.

 

And here we are told the sun will somehow be darkened and the moon will disappear. The stars will fall from the sky and every star, planet, comet, meteor, asteroid, and every other heavenly body will be shaken out its God-appointed place.

 

There is no reason to doubt that this will happen. After all, Colossians 1 tells us that in Christ all things hold together. He is the “glue of the universe.” If Christ were to say the word today, the sun would be darkened, the moon would go black, and the stars would fall from the sky.

 

For that matter, if Christ said the word, gravity would cease and the universe would explode into trillions of pieces. The only reason things hold together right now is the sovereign word of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

When Christ returns, the very systems God Himself designed and ordained and implemented that have held their place since the beginning of creation will be altered somehow, causing the stars to veer from their courses and the planets to careen off in space. It will be the most amazing event in world history.

 

And it will be so cataclysmic, no one will miss what is happening or is about to happen.  No one’s is going to explain it away in natural terms.  No one is going to be able to deny that God is doing it.

All these things are signs of divine judgment. They are God’s way of waking up a rebellious world and saying, “You wanted nothing to do with me so I let you go your own way. You followed the Antichrist and gave him your allegiance and look where it’s gotten you. Your ancestors rejected my Son and you have followed his satanic replacement. You made the wrong choice. You forgot about me. The Day of Judgment has finally come.”

 

He talks about the timing and signs of His coming.  Then Jesus tells us about

 

 

verse 30

 

This verse describes the literal return of Christ to the earth. Zechariah 14 tells us that when Christ comes, his feet will touch down on the Mount of Olives. John Walvoord points out that the Second Coming will be like a stately procession that everyone will see in the sky.

 

Unlike the Rapture, which happens in the “twinkling of an eye,” the warring combatants (led by the Antichrist) who gather first to attack each other and then join forces to attack the Son of God as he journeys from heaven to earth, will actually see Christ in the skies as he makes his way from heaven to earth, surrounded by the saints and the angels and the billowing clouds of God’s glory.

 

The phrase “all the nations” is literally “all the tribes of the earth,” first and foremost a reference to the tribes of Israel. It extends to the nations but its primary meaning is Israel.

The people of the earth will mourn when they see Christ returning because

1) they know he is coming in judgment, and

2) they will realize they are not ready for his coming.

 

This will be a sign visible to the entire earth. “Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him” (Revelation 1:7 ESV).

 

Now Jesus says He is going to return “with power and great glory.” Perhaps the best way to understand that statement is to compare the circumstances surrounding the first and second comings.

 

The first time Jesus came unnoticed into the world, the second time “every eye will see him.” In his first coming Jesus humbled himself, being born in a stable in Bethlehem. When he returns, he will come back as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

 

In his first coming he endured the mockery of men who despised him for his goodness. Although he was the Son of God, he allowed them to put him to death, that he might thereby provide salvation for the world.

 

When he comes again, all mockery will cease for he will rule the nations with a rod of iron. He came the first time as the Lamb of God; he comes again as the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Two thousand years ago the religious leaders shouted in scorn, “He saved others, but he can’t save himself!” (Matthew 27:42). This time they will cry for an avalanche to cover them in an attempt to be saved from His judgment.

The day is coming when the whole world will see Jesus as he really is. When that happens, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11).

 

Around the first coming inscribe the word HUMILTY in letters large and bold. Around his second coming inscribe the word GLORY so that all the world may see. Nothing could be more natural than a triumphant return of our victorious Lord. Though he was once “despised and rejected of men,” he will one day return “in power and great glory,” heralded by angels and accompanied by his saints.

 

And notice what He says about

 

 

verse 31

 

Once Christ returns to the earth, he will send the angels to gather the “elect” from the four corners of the earth. The “elect” are the true believers in Jesus found in every country and in every culture.

 

Though many will be in hiding to escape the persecution of the Antichrist, the Lord knows his own, he knows where they are, and his angels know where to find them. These are true believers who did not take the mark, who would not follow the Antichrist, and who managed to escape being beheaded by the Antichrist.

 

 

 

Though hounded and hated and tracked down like wild animals, they survived the terrible last years of the Great Tribulation and now are being assembled before the Lord Jesus Christ. Many believe this is also the place in time when the saints of the Old Testament are raised from the dead.

 

They are gathered together and brought into the millennial kingdom Christ will establish on the earth. They, along with the already-raised and raptured believers of the church age (I Thessalonians 4:13-18), will constitute the beginning population of the earthly kingdom of Christ.

 

This gathering of the “elect” suggests a worldwide harvest of souls in the final days. Even when Satan is let loose to wreak havoc on the earth, even then God’s grace will have a profound effect on millions of people. Those who are chosen by God and called by God will respond in profound saving faith. While the world goes to hell, millions will find the way to heaven.

 

Write beside this verse “Romans 11:26.” In that verse, the Apostle Paul declares that when Christ returns, “All Israel will be saved.” At this point the prophecies of Zechariah will come to pass:

 

“And the Lord will give salvation to the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem may not surpass that of Judah” (Zechariah 12:7 ESV).

 

 

 

 

“And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn” (Zechariah 12:10 ESV).

 

“On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness” (Zechariah 13:1 ESV).

 

Days are coming when Jews in vast numbers will willingly, freely, gladly and openly trust Christ as Savior. They will look upon him whom they pierced, they will realize their mistake, a fountain of forgiveness will be opened to them, the partial blindness that has come upon the Jewish people will be removed, and the nation as a nation will reverse its judgment made 2,000 years ago.

 

The official rejection of Jesus Christ will be thrown out of court, so to speak, and he will be enthroned in his proper place as the true Son of David who comes in the name of the Lord.

 

At the present time, only a tiny remnant of the Jews have embraced Christ as Lord. But all that will change when Jesus returns to the earth. The Sons of Abraham will come home to the Son of David and worship him as Lord and Savior.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now Jesus inserts an illustration to help His disciples understand the timing of when He would return and remind them He could be trusted.

 

verses 32-33

 

The disciples, most likely,, knew exactly what He was talking about when he uses this illustration.   They knew that every spring the leaves begin to grow on the twigs and the buds begin to develop. That was a sure sign that summer was not far away. It might be a few weeks or several months, but the leaves and the buds meant that summer was coming soon.

 

In the same way, the coming of Christ at the end of the Tribulation will be preceded by a whole series of events, some of them mentioned by Christ in Matthew 24, others found in the Old Testament, and still others set forth in the book of Revelation. Those events will be so strikingly obvious that they could not be missed. They are like key pieces of a jigsaw puzzle that finally fall into place. When you see those pieces of the prophetic puzzle, you know the end is near.

 

As I pointed out earlier in this series, there are many “signs” that may be seen in greater or lesser degree in every generation. It is the combination of signs plus the increasing tempo of those events that will mark the last days.

 

Plus there are some absolutely unique things, such as the “abomination that causes desolation” by the Antichrist on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem at the midpoint of the Tribulation that will tip off thoughtful observers that the coming of Christ is “near, right at the door.”

 

We have been privileged to witness many events in relatively recent history such as the reestablishment of Israel as a nation in 1948 that seem to indicate the fig tree is putting forth leafs and buds.

 

And Jesus says, “Just know, summer’s not far away”.

 

 

Then notice verse 34

 

Now the great question of verse 34 is this: What generation was Jesus talking about when he used the phrase “this generation?” Obviously, it didn’t refer to the first-century generation that heard his words because the events he spoke about did not happen in their generation.

 

Even if you say He was talking about the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70, there is no way he events of verses 29-31 happened in the first century—or any time since then.

 

So who is Jesus referencing when He talks about “this generation?  There are two ways to interpret the phrase and both of them may be correct to some degree. How’s that for a politician-type answer?

 

The first view suggests that “this generation” refers to the generation alive when the events prophesied in Mathew 24 begin to unfold.

 

That generation, whoever it is and whenever it happens, will not pass away until Jesus himself returns to the earth. In this view Jesus is saying that when the final drama begins to unfold, the chain of events leading to the Second Coming will happen quickly—within a generation.

 

The problem is Jesus said “this” generation and not “that generation” so that doesn’t seem to be the best way to handle the verse.

 

The second view, and the one I lean toward, points out that the Greek word translated “generation” can sometimes mean “race” or “ethnic group.”  In fact, the primary use of the word, Scripturally speaking, is to indicate being of the same family or stemming from the same father or from the same stock. It speaks of race or ethnicity.

 

The definition that speaks of a generation being from a specific time or age is fourth in the list of possible meanings.

 

So in the context of Matthew 23 & Matthew 24 He may very well be talking about the nation of Israel and the meaning would be something like this, “This unbelieving race of people, the nation of Israel, will not pass away, but will be preserved by God across the centuries (even in unbelief) until all of God’s purposes for them are finally fulfilled.”

 

And what Jesus is speaking of is a divine protection for the Jewish people that is guaranteed by God Himslef.

 

 

And history certainly bears that out.  it is an amazing miracle to consider “the indestructible Jew,” as one writer put it. Though hated and persecuted and chased from place to place, and though Hitler did his best to wipe out the Jews altogether, Hitler is gone and the Jews remain.

 

In our own lifetime, the nation of Israel has been re-established for the first time in 2,000 years. This has not happened by chance or by the hand of man, not even by Jewish courage or ingenuity or military prowess, but by the hand of Almighty God who swore a promise to Abraham and guaranteed that promise with an oath. The God who cannot lie has preserved the Jewish people across the centuries while the nations that have attacked them have largely fallen to the dust.

 

And then, upon the guarantee of protection for Israel, Jesus extends it to every generation in every time and place.

 

Verse 35

 

We learn two important truths from this verse:

 

1) This universe is not eternal. Contrary to the speculations of certain scientists and philosophers, the universe had a definite beginning and will have a definite ending. It exists because God called it into being and it will pass away whenever God says the word.

 

2) The words of Christ will stand forever. I know that many will scoff and some will laugh at the things I have said in this sermon.

To the man of the world, the notion that Jesus will one day return seems a fantastic notion, like a fairy tale. It sounds absurd to the man who does not know God. How could someone who lived 2,000 years ago return to the earth in the 21st century? “What makes you think Jesus will come back?” they say. “All things continue as they have from the beginning of creation.” (paraphrasing II Peter 3:1-7).

 

That’s all right.  Let ‘em scoff and ridicule.  Jesus said they would.  That’s all right.

 

But He also said, “Heaven and earth will pass away.”  It’s going to happen.

 

Only His Word will stand. Every jot and every tittle will be fulfilled. He will return, just as he promised. Better to doubt the laws of nature than the word of the Risen Christ. Better to believe that the sun and moon have fallen from the sky than to doubt his word. Few believed in the promise of his first coming; few believe he is coming again. But whether many believe or few believe of even if no one believes, Jesus is coming again.

 

There is a theological term that theologians use to describe the coming of Christ. They say that his coming is imminent. The word literally means “at any moment.” When we declare that his coming is imminent, we meant that it is always possible in every generation, and never impossible in any generation.  Jesus is coming, he may come soon, and he could come today.

 

The story is told of a businessman who, having an errand to run at his office, took his young son along with him.

He asked the boy to wait on the steps while he went inside to do his work. Soon he became so engrossed with his business that he forgot about his son waiting outside.

 

Leaving the building by a different door, he went home alone. Several hours later the family sat down to dinner but the son was not present. His mother became anxious and wondered where he might be. Then the father remembered where he left his son. Hurrying back to his place of work, he found his son, tired and hungry, waiting as he had been instructed to do. “I knew that you would come, father,” he said, “you said you would.”

 

Two thousand years have passed since Jesus went to heaven, and some of God’s children feel tired and hungry. We wonder why Jesus hasn’t come back yet. Perhaps he has forgotten us. Perhaps he made other plans.

 

If you feel like that little boy, take heart. It’s been a long time from our point of view, but he’s only been gone for two days from heaven’s perspective. He said he would come back—and he will. Fear not, child of God. Keep believing. He hasn’t forgotten you. Soon Christ will return for His own. With this hope we lay our loved ones to rest in the sacred soil of death. With this hope we rise each morning, look to the eastern sky, and say, “Maybe today.”

All Christians believe that Jesus will come back someday. He said he would―and he never forgets his promises.

 

Here is the application of this great truth. Jesus is coming. That much is certain. The precise time is hidden in the heart of God. It may be soon. It may not be for a 100 years. But one of these days, the sky will split open, there will a loud shout, the voice of the archangel, and the trumpet call of God. Then the dead in Christ will rise first. Living believers will be raptured, and all God’s children will rise to meet the Lord in the air. That starts the chain of events that leads eventually to the return of Christ to the earth.

 

Since no one knows when the rapture will occur, our job as believers is very clear:

 

Believe in his coming.

 

Pray for his coming.

 

Love his coming.

 

Preach his coming.

 

Watch for his coming.

 

Wait for his coming.

 

Expect his coming.

 

Look for his coming.

 

Live as if it might be today and one day you won’t be disappointed. If you don’t know Jesus, don’t wait another day, another hour, another second. Run to the cross, lay your sins on Jesus, and trust him as your Savior. This is the most important decision you can ever make. Don’t be caught unprepared when the Son of God returns to the earth.

 

Let’s pray.