The “Last Days”
Notes
Transcript
What do you think of when you hear the phrase “The Last Days”?
“The Last Days” actually is the period of time between the 2 advents or comings of Christ.
Particular to the closing days of this present age, immediately before the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Matthew’s Gospel gives the fullest teaching on the Mt. Olive Discourse. You can find the parallel passages in (Mark 13, Luke 17:20-37, 21:20-27).
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus is portrayed as the Messiah and the royal King.
Matthew is writing to prove that Jesus is the prophesied Messiah.
Even though Israel rejected their Messiah thus postponing the kingdom does not mean the promises to national Israel are canceled.
Therefore, Matthew is proving that Jesus Christ is the Messiah even though He did not institute the prophesied kingdom of the Old Testament at His first coming.
Matthew will also seek to prove the importance of Gentiles in relation to the kingdom.
Matthew 24 gives us an outline of the events where the Lord Jesus Christ answered three questions asked of Him by His disciples.
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.
Jesus separates the destruction of Jerusalem for His coming to establish the kingdom. He warns against being deceived concerning the destruction of Jerusalem and cataclysmic events.
The destruction of the temple happened in AD 70., but makes sure the disciples understand that this destruction of Jersualem and the temple did not signify the end.
Matthew 24:6 (KJV 1900)
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.
However, Luke does answer the question of the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple.
Luke 21:20–24 (KJV 1900)
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.
The Jews understood “the end of the age” meant the coming of the Messiah and the resurrection of the Old Testament saints.
Matthew 24:3 (KJV 1900)
3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?
When shall these things be?
When shall these things be?
Jesus answers the question by using the future tense (mello) to indicate the time immediately prior to the return of Christ to earth.
These things have begun but will stronger and more consistent.
Matthew 24:4–14 (KJV 1900)
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.
9 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.
10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
14 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.
What shall be the sign of Thy coming?
What shall be the sign of Thy coming?
Matthew 24:15–26 (KJV 1900)
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.
23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24 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.
25 Behold, I have told you before.
26 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.
And [What shall be the sign] of the end of the world?
And [What shall be the sign] of the end of the world?
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.
28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
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.
31 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.
What is the Characteristics of the “Last Days”?
What is the Characteristics of the “Last Days”?
The inference of this passage is that these happenings would accelerate toward the close of the age.
There will be a false peace and security, along with religious apostasy, that will characterize the beginning of the tribulation period.
This time frame corresponds to Revelation 6.
Matthew 24:8 (KJV 1900)
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
literally means birth pangs.
The actual pangs only happen right before delivery.
Luke 21:28 (KJV 1900)
28 And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
False Christianity.
False Christianity.
5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
Those who claim to be “the Christ.”
Those who clam to be “the deliverer.”
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.
Revelation 6:2 (KJV 1900)
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.
A globally known political leader the Bible refers to as the Antichrist. He has a bow but no mention of arrows. The Antichrist will make a seven-year treaty with the Jews, allowing them to offer up sacrifices in a rebuilt Jerusalem temple.
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.
18 Little children, it is the last time: and as ye have heard that antichrist shall come, even now are there many antichrists; whereby we know that it is the last time.
19 They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us: but they went out, that they might be made manifest that they were not all of us.
20 But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.
National and International Conflict.
National and International Conflict.
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.
Revelation 6:3–4 (KJV 1900)
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.
Matthew 24:7 (KJV 1900)
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
“For” indicates that because nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom people will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars.
Matthew 24:6-7 parallels the second, third, and fourth seals it follows that the Antichrist is the one leading the wars both nation and kingdom.
(Daniel 7:8, 23-24; Daniel 11: 40-45; Zechariah 12:2-11; Revelation 6:3-4; 12:9-17; 16:12-15; 17:14; 19:1; 20:8)
Not only will nations throughout the world be rising against each other, but also the Antichrist will form his 10-nation confederacy that will be the basis of his eschatological kingdom.
Revelation 6:5–6 (KJV 1900)
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.
Natural Disasters.
Natural Disasters.
Matthew 24:7 (KJV 1900)
7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
Revelation 6:7–8 (KJV 1900)
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.
This period is referred to as,
Matthew 24:8 (KJV 1900)
8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Religious Persecution.
Religious Persecution.
9 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.
10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
“Then” marks the transition of the tribulation period.
This persecution is not against Christians but rather it is against the Jews. Revelation 12:1-17.
Persecution will be so great that people will betray one another for survival.
Revelation 6:9–11 (KJV 1900)
9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth?
11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.
Abounding Sin.
Abounding Sin.
12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
Lawlessness
There will be a rebellion against all authority.
Extensive Gospel Preaching.
Extensive Gospel Preaching.
Matthew 24:14 (KJV 1900)
14 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.
The gospel can have 2 different meanings.
1. refers to the message of Salvation. (Romans 1:16).
2. refers to the gospel (good news) of the Kingdom, proclaiming God’s righteous rule begin on earth. (Mark 1:14-15; Matt 4:17.)
This gospel of the Kingdom is seen in Revelation.
6 And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people,
7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.
This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole world for a witness to all the nations.
Remember,
Acts 1:6 (KJV 1900)
6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
The disciples were still asking if this is the time of restoration.
The disciples did not have any concept of the church age, but were eagerly anticipating the kingdom.
The gospel of the kingdom will be good news to the tribulation saints.
They will be enduring persecution and even martyrdom during the tribulation.
Many of them will die as martyrs, but the one who endures to the end, he shall be saved.
Matthew 24:13 (KJV 1900)
13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
The tribulation saints who endure to the end of the age, prior to the establishment of the messianic kingdom, will be delivered from persecution and martyrdom during the tribulation to be allowed entrance into the kingdom in their natural bodies.
This is a message to encourage perseverance.
Understand though that this persecution will be tremendously strong.
8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the Lord, Two parts therein shall be cut off and die; But the third shall be left therein.
2/3 of Israel will be destroyed.
Perseverance is a mark of a true believer.
(Hebrews 3:6, 14; Hebrews 4:11; Hebrews 6:12; Hebrews 11:35).
Apostasy is a mark of a false believer.
(1 John 2:19; Matthew 13:1-9; Matthew 13:18-23).
A Summary of this age is as follows:
Moral DECAY.
Moral DECAY.
1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.
2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,
4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;
5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.
17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;
18 how that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.
19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.
Spiritual DECLENSION.
Spiritual DECLENSION.
2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.
3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.
1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;
2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
2 And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.
3 And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not.
17 These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist of darkness is reserved for ever.
18 For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in error.
19 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage.
20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.
21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.
22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.
Natural DISASTERS.
Natural DISASTERS.
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
Gospel DISSEMINATION
Gospel DISSEMINATION
Publication, Circulation.
14 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.
We are surely living in the last days, however, it is important to note that we are as much in the last days as were the early Christians.
There is NO prophecy that requires fulfillment during this present age before the “Rapture” can occur - this great event is imminent.
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:
Revelation 6:12–17 (KJV 1900)
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.
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?