Never Before, Never Again

SEPTEMBER 20, 2020 STUDY NOTES MATTHEW 24:21 BIBLE TEACHER: CLIFTON JONES NEVER BEFORE, NEVER AGAIN INTRODUCTION (A quick review) In Matthew 24:16 Jesus told those living in Judea to flee to the mountains The reason they are to flee is found in the previous verse, 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:) They are to flee as soon as they see that the “Abomination of Desolation” has occurred Matthew 24 is describing events that will take place during the 70th week of Daniel Which is the final 7 years of the 490-year prophecy given to Daniel (Dan 9:24-27) The first 483 years have already literally been fulfilled and the final 7 years is yet to come There is a time gap between the fulfillment of the 483 years and the final 7 years We are still living within the time gap and waiting for the final 7 years to begin Many call the final 7 years the “Tribulation,” but scripture identifies it as the 70th week of Daniel The 70th week begins when the Antichrist makes a covenant with the nation of Israel (Dan 9:27) Many were excited this week when we witnessed the signing of a peace treaty with Israel For many reasons that is not the one we are looking for, but it certainly leads to the real one Whether the democrats agree with me or not, President Trump is not the Antichrist The Antichrist will not come from America, he will come from somewhere in the Middle East The peace treaty signed this week confirms that Israel is already eager to sign such a covenant We are not told all that will be written within the Antichrist covenant, but it will please Israel We do know that the Jews will be allowed to worship and offer sacrifices in the rebuilt temple The covenant will be for 7 years but after 3 ½ years Antichrist will break the covenant (Dan 9:27) That event is identified as the Abomination of Desolation (Mt 24:15; Dan 12:11) At the time of the Abomination of Desolation the Antichrist will be identified (2 Thess. 2:3) At that time Antichrist will cause the sacrifices and offerings to cease (Dan. 9:27) His actions are known as an abomination that causes desolation of the temple Antichrist will set himself up in the temple and present himself as God (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4) His demand will be that the world worship him or face persecution and even death That is why Jesus instructed those in Judea to flee at the time of the Abomination of Desolation Jews and Christians in Jerusalem will be the first subjects of the Antichrist persecution Jesus presents His warning as urgent and immediate action must take place (Mt 24:17-20) Mt. 24:15 tells us “when” those in Judea must flee, at the time of the Abomination of Desolation In verses 16-20 we are told how important it is to pay attention to the words of Jesus In Mt, 24:21 we are told “why” they must listen to Jesus and “why” they must flee Jesus said, there shall be “Great Tribulation,” Mat 24:21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. “For then” is a time word, an expression of time, describing the sequence of events So, what was the preceding event? The abomination of desolation standing in the holy place It “shall be,” there will be no doubt, no question about it, it will be exactly what Jesus calls it “Great tribulation,” the word “great” stresses the physical magnitude of the event It will not be just another time of tribulation, it will greatly affect the mind and all other senses “Tribulation” is any time pressure is being applied upon you because of what you are doing It does not describe a minor inconvenience, it is more than mental pressure, it is physical hardship Christians are not exempt from tribulation God’s people have always faced persecution Throughout the ages Christians have suffered at the hand of Satan and a sinful world 1 The nation of Israel has often experienced Satan’s attempt to destroy them as a nation But the greatest persecution that the Jews and the Church will face is yet to come Which will be the time that Jesus called the “Great Tribulation” “Great” because “never before” and “never again” will there be such a time of tribulation Scripture often reveals the fact that God’s people have faced tribulation and persecution We find the word tribulation translated as persecution, Act 11:19 Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution (tribulation) that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but unto the Jews only. The Thessalonians experienced persecution and tribulation, 2Th 1:4 So that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure: The “tribulation” (pressure upon them) that the Thessalonians faced was persecution They faced persecution because they had received the Word of God and were faithful to the word, 1Th 1:6 And ye became followers of us, and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Ghost: The word “affliction” is the same word translated “tribulations” in 2 Thessalonians 1:4 Paul told them that they could expect tribulation, 1Th 3:3 That no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto. “Affliction” and “tribulation” does not refer to a mere discomfort of circumstances The thought is not someone laughing at you because you own a Bible and go to church Christians do not face trials, troubles, and tribulation because of a lack of faith Christians face persecution when they live their faith, Php 1:29 For unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for his sake; The early church faced persecution because they were obedient and faithful to the Word of God Stephen was stoned to death, Act 7:59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. At the time Stephen was stoned the church was facing great persecution, Act 8:1 And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. King Herod had James killed, Act 12:1 Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church. Act 12:2 And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. Peter was put in prison, Act 12:5 Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. Paul was stoned in Lystra to the point that they thought he was dead, Act 14:19 And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead. (He was miraculously healed, vs 20) Paul warned the churches of Galatia, Act 14:22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhorting them to continue in the faith, and that we must through much tribulation enter into the Kingdom of God Paul and Silas were stoned and cast into prison, Act 16:22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. Act 16:23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Because Paul preached in Thessalonica there were those who faced hostility (Acts 17:5) Hostile Jews continued to follow Paul and Silas causing an uproar (Acts 17:13) There are other accounts found in Acts, you need to read the rest of the story Paul was again arrested and there was a plot to kill Paul Paul’s instructions for us to be patient in tribulation comes from personal experience, Rom 12:12 Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; He tells us how to be patient in tribulation, be “instant in prayer” (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18) Paul also said, we are to glory in tribulation, Rom 5:3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 2 Paul assured us that tribulation will not separate us from the love of Christ, Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? John shares with us a testimony as he begins to share with us the “Revelation,” Rev 1:9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. Christians are not exempt from tribulation, not even the “Great Tribulation” Nowhere in scripture do we find that Christians are exempt from “tribulations” But we are exempt from the wrath of God, 1Th 5:9 For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Again, we must understand that the Great Tribulation in Matthew 24 is not the wrath of God It is the wrath of Satan, Rev 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. As we study the Great Tribulation, we will see that it is not the wrath of God Jesus identifies this time of tribulation as, “the tribulation, the great one” WHY DOES JESUS CALL IT “GREAT” TRIBULATION? For then shall be great tribulation, “Shall be,” not perhaps, not a maybe-so, not there could be, but a strong assurance, there will be The original literally says, “the tribulation, the great one” Indicating that it is the only one, there is only one time-period known as the “great tribulation” Which is exactly the way Jesus presents it, the way He explains it in this verse Many commentators teach that the great tribulation is a seven-year period-of time Some teach there will be tribulation for the first 3 ½ years and then great tribulation for 3 ½ years Either way giving the final 7-year period the title of tribulation or great tribulation No verse or passage of scripture designates the tribulation as a seven-year period The scriptural term for the future seven-year period is the 70th week of Daniel In Matthew 24:21 the word “tribulation” means more than the minor inconveniences of life It is more than an anguish of heart or a fear within from people who oppose your lifestyle It is more than the tribulation that the early church faced or more than the church of today faces Jesus describes THE GREAT TRIBULATION AS A UNIQUE PERIOD OF TIME such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, “Since the beginning of the world,” places the emphasis upon times past Which covers a lot of time and many previous times of tribulation and persecution Jesus said there is nothing that has ever happened that will compare to it, an amazing statement Jesus is saying that since the beginning of the world Satan’s evil work has never been so great Which presents a holocaust beyond our imagination when we consider the history of the Jews Some teach that the prophecy of Matthew 24 was fulfilled in 70 A.D. It is estimated that 1.1 million Jews were killed by the Romans in 70 A.D. But the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. was not the great tribulation Hitler’s Holocaust, the murder of some six million Jews, was not the great tribulation The Great Tribulation will be an unparalleled time in the entire history of the world The “Great Tribulation” will be the worst affliction upon man in all-of human history Never-before it comes will there have been such a time of persecution from Satan The words of Jesus are strongly stated, the same thing is predicted by Daniel, Dan 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. There can only be one such “time of trouble” according to Jesus and Daniel 3 There will never be such a time-period until the time in which it begins Then Jesus said, no, nor ever shall be. Jesus makes another strong point concerning the Great Tribulation Never ever before it occurs will there be anything like it And once it occurs, there will never be anything like it again? “No, nor ever shall be” A crystal-clear statement, there is only one time-period known as the “Great Tribulation” Once it occurs it will never be equaled, never again will there be anything like it Another clear statement that the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. did not fulfill this prophecy Since that time, the Jews have experienced greater tribulation, but the Great Tribulation is coming Satan’s day of wrath is yet to come, which will be a unique time-period, one of a kind The world has yet to see what Jesus is describing, we could be the generation that will see it There will only be one thing or one person who can end the time of the great tribulation The great tribulation will be cut short for the elect’s sake, 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. It is not the 70th week of Daniel that will be cut short, it will be the time of Satan’s persecution That which will cut it short is the rapture of the church, when God will gather His people, 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. The Great Tribulation will begin at the time of the Abomination of Desolation The end of Great Tribulation for God’s people will be the rapture But the world will continue to face the Antichrist persecution until the end of the 70th week WE MUST UNDERSTAND THE ORDER OF EVENTS AS DESCRIBED BY JESUS It is important that we understand the sequence of events as presented by Jesus in Matt. 24 In verses 4-8 Jesus spoke of events that will occur at the beginning of the 70th week of Daniel Which He said was only the “beginning of sorrows,” Mat 24:8 All these are the beginning of sorrows. The word “sorrows” is “Birth Pangs” referring to the pain of childbirth Jesus presented to us what He called birth pains in verses 4-7 Jesus compares birth pains to the events connected with the beginning of the 70th week of Daniel Events that will literally begin to occur at the same time and in conjunction with each other The time of these events will get closer and closer together, occurring one right after another They will increase in frequency, intensity, and severity, and begin to take place simultaneously But they are only the beginning of the sorrows that the Jews and the Church will face Then Jesus directs our attention toward the days that are going to be more difficult (vss. 9-13) At the same time Christians will preach the gospel of the kingdom to the world (vs. 14) At the time, the gospel of the kingdom is being preached, the abomination of desolation occurs, 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:) Listen to Jesus, He said, we are to understand, we can only understand as we study God’s Word The emphasis is now placed upon the days of the great tribulation and persecution (vss. 16-20) The “great tribulation” begins in the middle of the 70th week of Daniel (Dan. 9:27; Mt 24:21) We must notice that Jesus uses the word “tribulation” when identifying this time-period He does not use the word “wrath” which is used in-reference to the Day of the Lord The first time the word “wrath” is found in Revelation is at the time of the 6th seal, Rev 6:16 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: Which will be the wrath of God at the time of the second coming, Rev 6:17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? The time of the tribulation, or the great tribulation, and the day of the Lord are not the same 4 The great tribulation will be the time of Satan’s wrath, Rev 12:12 Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! for the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. The “great wrath” of Satan will come before the Lord returns to begin His day of wrath In Matthew 24, Jesus explains why the future tribulation will be “great” The beginning of birth pangs will not be as difficult as the days of the Great Tribulation Labor pains increase and intensify just prior to the time of delivery The Great Tribulation will be physically and spiritually difficult for God’s people The Great Tribulation will be the strongest pains ever for the True Church The True Church will experience great pain just before being delivered from the wrath to come The church will be delivered from the great tribulation at the time of the Rapture The rapture will occur before the Day of the Lord begins Paul said that the Day of the Lord will not come before the Great Tribulation, 2Th 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come,(the Day of the Lord) except there come a falling away first, (the time of the abomination of desolation) and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; (the Antichrist) The Day of the Lord will not come before the day that Antichrist will be revealed The day that Antichrist will be revealed is known as the “abomination of desolation,” 2Th 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. The abomination of desolation will be the beginning of the great tribulation CONCLUSION Many times, throughout history, there has been periods of tribulation We must keep in mind that this unique tribulation time is because of the work of Satan It begins with the manifestation of his man, the Antichrist A study of the person and work of the Antichrist will tell us why it will be so severe It will be the worst suffering from the hand of Satan in all of history Look at how strong Jesus makes His point, “such as was not, no, nor ever shall be” Jesus make it clear, NEVER BEFORE, NEVER AGAIN In the next verse Jesus tells us that the great tribulation has the potential of destroying all life, 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. The word “shortened” means to amputate or cut off The return of Christ for the church cuts off the great tribulation for the church So, Christians have a promise from Jesus, which is also found in, Dan 12:1 And at that time shall Michael stand up, the great prince which standeth for the children of thy people: and there shall be a time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book. God’s people will not be delivered before the Great Tribulation But they will be delivered within the time of the Great Tribulation So, how do we prepare for the time of the Great Tribulation The same way we prepare to face the storms of our life today Listen to a song that has a message for us today 5