AnitChrist Alert
Notes
Transcript
SEPTEMBER 13, 2020
STUDY NOTES
MATTHEW 24:16-20
BIBLE TEACHER: CLIFTON JONES
ANTICHRIST ALERT
INTRODUCTION
We have many means of warning today, we have come from flags and sirens
When I was young, living in Freeport, Texas, the hurricane warning was a flag on a pole
Shrimpers out in the gulf would radio in that a storm was coming
Shrimpers would know that a storm was coming when the seagulls would leave their boats
Later, storm warnings were the downtown sirens sounding out
And then there came the day when police units would drive by with a loud-speaker message
Today we have immediate alerts through television, telephone, and cellphone
We receive alerts for severe weather, tornadoes, hurricanes, wind, floods, and fire danger
Long before any of the above, mankind had the most accurate warning system ever given
Christians must give attention to the warnings found within the Word of God
In Mt.24, Jesus gives us one of the most severe written warnings that you will ever hear of
As you read it you may find it hard to understand unless you understand the setting
Which is exactly what Jesus has told us to do, in-order to understand we must study the Bible
The cause of the warning has already been identified, Mat 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:)
The land is Judea, the city is Jerusalem, the place is the Temple, the people are the Jews
The warning of Jesus is not limited to Christian Jews, all Jews will be in danger
All Christians will be in danger because the persecution will spread throughout the world
The sure sign of the approaching danger will be the “abomination of desolation”
The abomination of desolation marks the beginning of the “Great Tribulation”
Here we have evidence that the “Great Tribulation” and the “Day of the Lord’ are not the same
The warning given for the “Great Tribulation” is the “Abomination of Desolation”
A far greater warning will announce the approaching Day of the Lord
It will be the “Cosmic Disturbance,” Mat 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: (A unique sign)
The “Great Tribulation” and the “Day of the Lord” are not one and the same
The Great Tribulation is the day of Satan’s wrath, the Day of the Lord is the day of God’s wrath
The warning of Jesus is because the time of the Great Tribulation has arrived--IT IS TIME TO FLEE
Mat 24:16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
“Then” takes us back to verse 15, at the time you see “the abomination of desolation”
When you know for sure that it has taken place and understanding what it is from scripture
“The abomination of desolation” will be a signal, it will be an alert, it will be a sign
The Abomination of Desolation will be a warning to the whole world but especially to the Jews
All followers of Christ must give attention to the words of Jesus, Christians must hear Jesus
let them which be in Judaea
Some believe that this verse eliminates the church from Matthew 24
They believe that the church will be raptured before the time of Matthew 24
Further study of Matthew 24 will reveal that the church is still on the earth
It is true that Jesus did not say, “let them which are in the world flee”
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The reason He said, “let them which be in Judea flee” is because of Satan’s goal
At the time of the Abomination of Desolation those living in Judea will be in great danger
The Antichrist is standing in the Jerusalem Temple and he takes immediate action
Jews living in Jerusalem near the temple must immediately flee
The Jews have been the target of Satan ever since God’s Covenant with Abraham
God called Abraham and God brought forth His chosen nation from Abraham (Gen 12:1-3)
He promised to bless Abraham and his people, He promised to bless the world through Abraham
The birth of the Messiah would come through the nation of Israel
Satan made many attempts to destroy the lineage that had been promised the Messiah
If Satan could destroy the Jews before Jesus was born, he could destroy God’s plan of salvation
Satan attempted to destroy Jesus and His ministry while Jesus was on the earth
Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, “Salvation is of the Jews,” Joh 4:22 Ye worship ye know not what:
we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews.
That is why Satan has been behind so many nations persecuting the Jews throughout the ages
There are yet many promises to be fulfilled for the nation of Israel and their promised land
Satan will continue his attempt to destroy Israel and his greatest attempts are yet to come
The work of Satan in the future will be through the Antichrist and the False Prophet
Jerusalem will become the headquarters of the Antichrist
Jerusalem will be an unsafe place for God’s people to live
Jews living nearest Jerusalem will be in the most immediate danger
But God’s people throughout the world will also be in danger
Satan’s forces will persecute Christians throughout the world, persecution will be global,
Rev 13:7 And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was
given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. (Saints of “all” nations)
We will study the “elect” in future verses, but for now, the term is not limited to the Jews
The persecution of God’s elect will be limited by God, Mat 24:22 And except those days should be
shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
(Note: “no flesh” not just Jews)
Satan seeks to deceive the elect, Mat 24:24 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. (Will it be possible?)
The elect will be delivered from Satan’s wrath before God’s wrath begins, Mat 24:31 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. (Jesus tells us where the elect will be)
The instructions from Jesus to his people is, “get out of Jerusalem”
And waste no time doing it, the danger is too great, Jesus tells them to--flee into the mountains:
The word “flee” means to quickly move away from danger, to escape what is about to happen
It will be time to take emergency action, they should immediately flee into the mountains
It is something that cannot be delayed, you can’t put it off, extreme haste will be necessary
Don’t worry about making any cabin reservations in the mountains
Don’t take time to shop for the best travel prices, don’t take the time to find a lower motel rate
The urgency of the hour is being expressed
The severity of the holocaust to come is being revealed, there is not time for anything else
The following verses show that Jesus is saying do it as quickly as possible
Time cannot be wasted because the danger is too great, greater than any storm we will ever face
NO TIME FOR ANYTHING
Mat 24:17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his
house:
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The “housetop” in this verse is not what we would call a roof, houses in Palestine had flat roofs
The roof was part of the living quarters, like a patio or porch, a place of comfort and leisure
The one who was on the housetop could be relaxing and enjoying a quiet time
But it will not be the time for rest and relaxation, the time for comfort and leisure will be over
There will not even be time to go back into the house to pack
The persecution upon the Jews and God’s people, will be quick, swift, and great
So quick and intense that not a minute of time should be wasted, Jesus said--not come down to take any thing out of his house:
Jesus is speaking to those in Jerusalem who will witness the abomination of desolation
He didn’t tell them to pack up and leave, He told them to leave immediately
We often see on the news people having to leave their house because of approaching danger
Such as those along the gulf coast when a hurricane is coming, it is time to evacuate
Or those in California who flee from the forest fires, it is time to evacuate
When having to evacuate, you take all that you possibly can with you
People want to grab and take with them as many of their valuables as they can
The Jews are to lose no time in escaping the persecution that begins in Jerusalem
The need to flee is urgent because the danger is too great
Jesus is saying, be concerned about saving your life and not your material possessions
Here we have a lesson, material possessions are not to be considered as of utmost value
Personal possessions will not be worth the risk of delay, so Jesus said, “don’t go back home”
DON’T GO HOME
Mat 24:18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
Again, the strong point that Jesus is making is, “no time can be wasted”
Jesus is now referring to the one who is at work, he has on his work clothes
He may have left his coat on the fence across the field
He is not to go back to the fence or his house because of the immediate danger
There is no time to pack his casual or traveling clothes, he will have to travel in his work clothes
It is not the time to concentrate on clothing, personal belongings, or material possessions
It is not the time for women to stand in the closet trying to decide which dress to wear
The emphasis is not only on the danger of the time but also on priorities
What is it that really matters in life? What is that which is most important to our life?
The loss of physical well-being is a high price to pay for the gain of material possessions
A very successful businessman once told me, “I spent my health to gain my wealth”
Then he said, “Now I am spending my wealth trying to regain my health”
No worldly possession will be worth the time lost to save it, or especially if it cost us our life
Personal belongings or provisions are never as important as obeying Jesus
It is sad that it takes a tragedy to teach people that truth, especially in our day
In times of disaster we always hear people talk about how little the “things” of life are
Especially when compared to life itself
People say that “things” can be replaced, buildings can be rebuilt, but a life will be gone forever
But that kind of talk usually doesn’t last long after the storm
Soon their thoughts will be turned back to their material possessions
In 2 Timothy 3, Paul said that in the last days, men shall be lovers of their own selves
They will be lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God
Worldly things will be more important to them than the “things” of God
We need to settle something today before a disaster comes
What is more important to us, our personal belongings, our things of pleasure, or our life?
How important is our obedience to God’s Word, compared to those worldly things?
Jesus presents to us how important faith in God and obedience to His Word will be in the future
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The word from the Lord is “to flee” and “pray” for the least amount of hindrance
WOE UNTO PREGNANT WOMEN
Mat 24:19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
“Woe” is used here as an expression of intense sorrow or pain, referring to grief and misery
It is often also used as an expression of judgment and with the thought of one being accursed
The “woes” of scripture are the opposite of the blessings promised in scripture
The abomination of desolation will not be the time to sing “Showers of Blessing”
Jesus is expressing the difficulties that will be faced by different ones, even Christians
At any time, everything becomes more difficult for the woman who is pregnant
It is difficult for the pregnant woman to eat, sleep, walk, or stay in a good mood
Pregnant women will have a burden that cannot be left behind, they will be at a greater risk
It will be extremely difficult for pregnant women and for those who have small children
It is nothing new for small children to be under the attack of Satan or even killed
Satan was working through Pharaoh when he said, Exo 1:16 And he said, When ye do the office of a
midwife to the Hebrew women, and see them upon the stools; if it be a son, then ye shall kill him: but if it
be a daughter, then she shall live.
He ordered the midwives of the Hebrew women to kill the males at the time of birth
Again, it was Satan working in Herod, Mat 2:16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the
wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in
all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently
enquired of the wise men.
Herod ordered the death of all male children two years of age and under
Satan’s plan was to destroy the coming of the Messiah
In the future, Satan will attempt to prevent the King of Kings from reigning over Israel
His future persecution of Israel will include Jewish children
Jesus is telling us in many-different ways how great this time of trouble will be
God’s people must get away from Jerusalem as quickly as they can
They must not allow even the least amount of difficulty to delay them from immediately leaving
TIME TO TRAVEL
Mat 24:20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
Jesus said “pray,” Paul said, 1Th 5:17 Pray without ceasing, put the two together
Our heart must be turned to God at all-times, our mind must be upon God at all-times
Paul is simply telling us to continually live with the awareness of God’s presence
Know that in everything and in all things, God is present
God will still be with His people at the time of the abomination of desolation
Praying daily is a daily concentration upon Christ, making Christ the center of your life
Prayer is not as much “time” with the Lord as it is “presence” with the Lord
When you desire to touch God daily you will never be out of touch with God
When you open the prayer line daily, the prayer line will always be open
Prayer time is your time with God, God I want to be near you, and I want to talk to you
Jesus said, at the time of the abomination of desolation, it will be the time to talk to God
Prayer is more heart than mouth, prayer should be as natural as breathing
It is natural for the Christian to pray, to be ready to pray at any breath should be natural
There is no restriction upon the time or place to pray
We are not limited as to what we can pray about, there is nothing so unimportant
There is nothing too small or too monumental to pray about
Jesus often taught us how important it is to pray, Luk 18:1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end,
that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;
This is an account that is only found in Luke, there is no parallel in the other Gospel accounts
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Jesus had been speaking to His disciples
He now speaks to them in a parable to illustrate his point
The message He shares with them in this parable is “Don’t Quit Praying”
The main thought is not prayer in general, though the same truths presented apply to all praying
There is a connection with the previous chapter
The context from the previous chapter is the second coming of Jesus
The point of His message is to keep praying until Jesus comes
Regardless of how difficult it gets before Jesus returns, you must continue to pray
In Luke 17 Jesus had been describing the conditions of the world at the time of His return
People will be living a worldly life without the expectation of the return of Christ
People will give no thought to the fact that Jesus will return to judge Satan and sin, 2Pe 3:10 But the day
of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise,
and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be
burned up.
Jesus encouraged His followers to be patient and to pray, we ought always to pray
Prayer is our duty, it is necessary, we are obligated to pray at all-times
Prayer is always important, but in the day prior to the return of Christ it will be a “must”
In every chapter of 1 Thessalonians, Paul instructed the church to be ready for the return of Christ
In the closing verses of the book, Paul said, 1Th 5:17 Pray without ceasing.
And then he said, 1Th 5:18 In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus
concerning you.
We should be in a continual attitude of prayer, a pray always within our heart
At the tip of our tongue should a prayer of thanksgiving, even in our difficult days
Be sure your heart is always upon God’s will and your mind upon the things of God
Nothing is more important to our life than His will for us
Listen to what Jesus taught His disciples to pray, Mat 6:10 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth,
as it is in heaven.
Praying for the kingdom to come will result in living for the coming kingdom
Scripture often reveals how difficult living for Christ will be before the return of Christ
If you don’t pray, you will faint, which means to lose one’s courage, to become despondent
When you get so discouraged that you want to quit, you will either pray or give up
You will do one or the other, don’t give up, pray and thank God, believe that Jesus is coming
But before Jesus comes there will be days of great difficulty
We need to say with the disciples, Luk 11:1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain
place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his
disciples.
When Jesus says, it is time to pray, be in practice, be ready to pray
When we pray, we are to be specific, pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the
sabbath day:
Winter weather would make it more difficult for them to travel
Winter weather would be a hindrance and make it most uncomfortable
Prayer will be their hope, the only possible control of the conditions they will be fleeing
Jesus said, pray that the abomination of desolation would not occur on a Sabbath
The Sabbath was a sacred day for religious Jews, it was a day of rest and not a day of travel,
Exo 16:29 See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the
bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.
Even today, Religious Jews will not enter a restaurant or check into a hotel on the Sabbath
The Israeli airline will not fly between Friday sunset and Saturday sunset
The Sabbath was the day to cease from labor because it was a day of worship
The fear is for the legalistic Jews, there were many Sabbath Day regulations
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Sabbath day’s regulations would make it difficult for Jewish travelers
And religious Jews would be very noticeable traveling on the Sabbath
There was a limit that the Jew could travel on a Sabbath Day
It was known as “a Sabbath day’s journey,” Act 1:12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount
called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.
It was the maximum distance that a Jew could travel on the Sabbath Day
Which was less than a mile, probably between a ½ mile and ¾ of a mile
CONCLUSION
The danger is not limited to Christian Jews, Antichrist will war against all Jews
Jesus has a message for the Jews and Christians who will witness the abomination of desolation
Jesus also has a message for us today, today is the day to pray and trust God
The day that we are now living in, the day of the coronavirus pandemic, is also a day to pray
Today is the day to pray and to trust God, we must have faith in God
Faith in God is the answer to our current trials of life
Faith in God today will strengthen our faith in God if we face the “Great Tribulation”
Listen to the song
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