Understanding Matthew 24

MATTHEW 24 is about The Jewish tribulation.

It is the most misunderstood Chapter of the bible. And once we grab the understanding, the whole bible opens up. And understanding the book of Revelations becomes easy. As well with the book of Acts and the epistles written.

Jesus emphatic statement!

Verily I say unto you, THIS GENERATION shall not pass, till ALL these things be fulfilled. (Matthew 24:34)

When Jesus made this statement to the disciples I don’t think the Apostles were ignorantly thinking, and said to themselves “thank God THIS THING WILL happen to SOME PEOPLE 2000 years to come?”

In the Old Testament, when God told the Israelites that this generation will not enter the promise land, do you think Moses was thinking of another generation?

It took 40 years for that generation to pass away. Until they entered the promise land led by Joshua.

BEFORE Matthew 24:34, Jesus said something very important in Matthew 16:27-28.

For the Son of Man is going to COME in his Father’s glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. “Truly I tell you, SOME WHO ARE STANDING HERE WILL NOT TASTE DEATH BEFORE THEY SEE the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” (Matthew 16:27-28)

These people were not ignorant of our LORD’s sayings. Some people actually witnessed his coming.

They did not die as Jesus said.

Also remember what Jesus said to John in John 21:21-23.

This same John is the Revealator before the destruction of the temple. Meaning he witnessed the destruction.

That is why in his gospel this is no account of what Jesus said in Matthew 24, Mark 13, Luke 21.

Even John says, he was a PARTNER in the tribulation. (Revelation 1:9)

Now..
Jesus made this statement in Matthew 24:34, When He was coming out from Jerusalem when the disciples showed Him the TEMPLE. (The TEMPLE was their heaven and earth)

Matthew 24:1-4…
Jesus left the temple and was walking away when his disciples CAME UP to him to call his attention to its buildings. “Do you see all these things?” he asked. “Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down.”

As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples CAME TO HIM privately. “Tell US,” they said, “WHEN WILL THIS HAPPEN, and what WILL be the SIGN of YOUR COMING and of the END of the AGE?” Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you.

A parallel account of Matthew 24 is in Luke 21 and Mark 13.

This how Luke 21 recorded it.

When you see JERUSALEM being surrounded by ARMIES, you will know that its DESOLATION is near. Then let those who are in Judea FLEE to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. For this is the time of punishment in FULFILLMENT OF ALL that has been WRITTEN. How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem WILL be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled. “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they WILL see the SON OF MAN COMING in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to TAKE PLACE, stand up and LIFT up your heads, because your REDEMPTION is drawing near.” He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. “TRULY I TELL YOU, THIS GENERATION will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.
(Luke 21:20-32)

**A generation is NOT 2000 years.**

(Check Matthew 1:17, to say a generation is not 40 years is to make scriptures a lie)

This temple was destroyed exactly as prophesied by JESUS in AD 66-70. When the Roman armies surrounded Jerusalem.

Many also read this verses as a separate verse from the whole disclose of Matthew 24 and relate it to a rapture. NO!

As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come. (Matthew 24:37-42. A parallel verse is in Luke 17:24,37.)
This verses OCCURRED after the destruction.

This is NOT in our future or talking about a rapture. After the destruction men and women were “taken away” as slaves to other parts of the world.

If they would be a “rapture” as people teach, why was JESUS telling them to flee into the mountains.

(*Wouldn’t that be a stupid decision*)

There were NO survivors of the land except the Christians who fled into the mountains of Pelea and were saved.

When we read the verses with the history of the Jews in mind such terms like the Son of Man coming do not mean physical return of Jesus. No! It means judgement unto a nation.

And the so called “second coming” was related to the destruction of Jerusalem. Since then, there have been over 2000 years of generations before now. It would be a big error to interpret verses like these into our future. In fact, it is disrespect to the audience who heard it. Yes, a total disrespect to the Apostles.

Most of our wrong interpretation is because we think we know better than those who heard it. i.e.. The apostles. What a shame.

People in their interpretation have made Jesus a liar.

Now imagine EVERY generation BEFORE NOW reading this and thinking it is them. Will they NOT be in error?

I believe the bible was gathered together for us. Things have been written down FOR US. BUT NOT everything in it is TO US.

This is for us. For we are the new Jerusalem. The true Jew. The new heaven and new earth.

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ’He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the OLDER ORDER of THINGS HAS PASSED AWAY.”
(Revelation 21:2-5)

We are a NEW CREATION.

Meaning we are New heaven and New earth. Peace.
PLEASE READ YOUR OWN BIBLE!

From Jonathan Forgor

God coming on the clouds in the Old Testament

GOD COMING ON THE CLOUDS IN THE OT 

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Part 1: Psalm 18 / 2 Sam 22

Saul is jealous.

Saul sets out to kill David.

Saul chases David everywhere to try to kill him.
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Yet none of that literally, physically occurred.

It's very dramatic to create an impact on the heart.

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God came out of heaven.. with flaming fire.. with a shout..

DARK CLOUDS WERE UNDER HIS FEET.

He mounted the cherubim and flew;

he soared[d] on the wings of the wind."

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I did not turn back till they were destroyed.

they fell beneath my feet.

you humbled my adversaries before me.

and I destroyed my foes.

to the Lord, but he did not answer.

I pounded and trampled them like mud in the streets."

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He was writing about YHVH coming on the clouds to protect him.

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It was just poetry from David to give YHVH honor for his victories.

Context

David has been declared the successor of Saul.

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Psalm 18 is David's record of Saul attempting to kill him, David's appeal to God to deliver him, and God's response to David.

Take careful note of the poetic visualizations that David uses.

4 The sorrows of death compassed me, and the floods of ungodly men made me afraid.

5 The sorrows of hell(Sheol) compassed me about: the snares of death prevented me.

6 In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried unto my God: he heard my voice out of his temple, and my cry came before him, even into his ears.

7 Then the EARTH SHOOK and TREMBLED; the FOUNDATIONS also of the hills MOVED and were SHAKEN, because he was wroth.

8 There went up a SMOKE OUT OF HIS NOSTRILS, and FIRE OUT OF HIS MOUTH devoured: coals were kindled by it.

9 He bowed the heavens also, AND CAME DOWN: and darkness was under his feet.

10 And HE RODE UPON A CHERUB, and did fly: yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.

11 He made darkness his secret place; his pavilion round about him were dark waters and thick clouds of the skies.

12 At the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed, hail stones and coals of fire.

13 The Lord also thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail stones and coals of fire.

14 Yea, he sent out his arrows, and scattered them; and he shot out lightnings, and discomfited them.

15 Then the channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were discovered at thy rebuke, O Lord, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils.

16 He sent from above, he took me, he drew me out of many waters.

17 He delivered me from my strong enemy, and from them which hated me: for they were too strong for me.

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Wow, that was super poetic wasn't it?

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You can read 2 Samuel 22, the entire account of Saul chasing David, and you'll find the same poetic visualizations there.

This is just poetic apocalyptic language.

David says..

riding/flying upon a cherub..

and he SHOOK heaven and earth..

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Keep in mind,

David said God CAME down.. and was 'flying upon a cherub'..

2 Sam22:10-11

even says God came down ON THE CLOUDS RIDING A CHERUB:

"He parted the heavens and came down;

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David is speaking about YHVH freeing him from his enemies and from Saul's seeking to kill him.

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That's the entire context of Psalm18 and 2 Sam22:

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"38 I pursued my enemies and crushed them;

39 I crushed them completely, and they could not rise;

40 You armed me with strength for battle;

41 You made my enemies turn their backs in flight,

42 They cried for help, but there was no one to save them—

43 I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth;

49 "from a violent man you rescued me."

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The point is to show poetic apocalyptic language being used to simply describe warfare.

God coming down on the clouds, riding a cherub or whatever, just meant one army would be destroying another army.

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In this case, David was fending off enemies and Saul. 

Adapted from David King