I've heard people in this day and age say, "Maybe I would believe - if - I could see Jesus in person!" But the Pharisees and scribes knew the scriptures AND saw Jesus in person and still did not believe. So the examples of faith that Jesus gave them were of people from other nations (from long ago) who just had to hear the message of truth from someone else - and they believed! ...
(Matthew 12:38-42) Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to Him, “Teacher, we want to see a sign from You.” 39 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; 40 for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. The men of Nineveh will stand up with this generation at the judgment, and will condemn it because they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. 42 The Queen of the South will rise up with this generation at the judgment and will condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here..."
"An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign!" (NOW we will look at Matthew chapter 24. The same event is also found in Mark 13:1-31 and Luke 21:5-32.)
Because the Israelites as a nation did not accept their Messiah as soon as He was "born" on earth, their Jewish Age was interrupted. Although they still did not realize this. They were still counting on their Messiah to show up and fulfill all their covenants (the way they thought God should do things), and take them into the Millennial kingdom. There were (and still are) seven years left to complete the Jewish Age.
Eleven of the twelve disciples believed that Jesus was their Messiah, but Jesus had been telling them that very soon He had to "go away". But their big concern was still about Jesus sitting on throne and taking the Israelite nation into the Millennial kingdom! So when the disciples asked for the signs of His return - AND THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT - they asked for the signs of the end of the JEWISH age!!! They still did not know anything about the Church Age - at all.
Therefore - the following events will take place in the Tribulation leading up to Jesus' Second Coming! (I will put scripture references beside each point to show how these "signs" track along with the judgments of the Tribulation found in Revelation)...
(Matthew 24:1-35) Jesus came out from the temple and was going away when His disciples came up to point out the temple buildings to Him. 2 And He said to them, “Do you not see all these things? Truly I say to you, not one stone here will be left upon another, which will not be torn down.”
3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
4 And Jesus answered and said to them, “See to it that no one misleads you. 5 For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will mislead many. 6 You will be hearing of wars and rumors of wars (Rev.6:1-4).
See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines (Rev.6:5-8)
and earthquakes (Rev.6:12).
8 But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. 9 “Then they will
deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name (Rev.6:9-11).
10 At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12 Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. 14 This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached (Rev.11:1-4)
in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations (Rev.14:6-13),
and then the end will come.
See that you are not frightened, for those things must take place, but that is not yet the end. 7 For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines (Rev.6:5-8)
and earthquakes (Rev.6:12).
8 But all these things are merely the beginning of birth pangs. 9 “Then they will
deliver you to tribulation, and will kill you, and you will be hated by all nations because of My name (Rev.6:9-11).
10 At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another. 11 Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many. 12 Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold. 13 But the one who endures to the end, he will be saved. 14 This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached (Rev.11:1-4)
in the whole world as a testimony to all the nations (Rev.14:6-13),
and then the end will come.
15 “Therefore when you see the abomination of desolation (Rev.13:3)
which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains (Rev.12:6).
17 Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. 18 Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be a great tribulation (Rev.15-16),
such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. 22 Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect (Rev.7:3-8)
those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. 24 For false Christs
and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders (Rev.13:11-14),
so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. 25 Behold, I have told you in advance. 26 So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. 27 For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather (Rev.19:21).
which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand), 16 then those who are in Judea must flee to the mountains (Rev.12:6).
17 Whoever is on the housetop must not go down to get the things out that are in his house. 18 Whoever is in the field must not turn back to get his cloak. 19 But woe to those who are pregnant and to those who are nursing babies in those days! 20 But pray that your flight will not be in the winter, or on a Sabbath. 21 For then there will be a great tribulation (Rev.15-16),
such as has not occurred since the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will. 22 Unless those days had been cut short, no life would have been saved; but for the sake of the elect (Rev.7:3-8)
those days will be cut short. 23 Then if anyone says to you, ‘Behold, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There He is,’ do not believe him. 24 For false Christs
and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders (Rev.13:11-14),
so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect. 25 Behold, I have told you in advance. 26 So if they say to you, ‘Behold, He is in the wilderness,’ do not go out, or, ‘Behold, He is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe them. 27 For just as the lightning comes from the east and flashes even to the west, so will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures will gather (Rev.19:21).
29 “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky (Rev.6:12-13, 8:12-13, 16:10),
and the powers of the heavens will be shaken (Rev.16:17-21).
30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory (Rev.19:11).
31 And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect (Rev.20:4),
from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
and the powers of the heavens will be shaken (Rev.16:17-21).
30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory (Rev.19:11).
31 And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect (Rev.20:4),
from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.
32 “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near; 33 so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door. 34 Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
Today's takeaway: right here at the end, verse 34, Jesus promises that "this generation" - meaning - the Israelite nation - will not be annihilated. God promised to fulfill their covenants, and God keeps His promises; therefore, God will make sure that all twelve tribes of Israel will be represented in the Millennium!
God's words are eternal. God is eternal. Jesus is God. Only Jesus can provide eternal life! We need to get to know God and His word so that we may remain steadfast, because even today in this age, there are false prophets and antichrists who are trying to lead us astray. We do not need to see any "signs" as proof for God's existence. When we know God personally, He will be very evident in our lives...
(Romans 1:20) For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.
(1 John 4:1-6) Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. 4 You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 5 They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.
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