Review of Matthew 24

Last night I felt led to review Matthew 24. Having studied this chapter for a near forty years, I wondered what I had missed or what the Holy Spirit wanted to impress on me. As I usually do when reviewing or meditating on a chapter, I digested it word by word, line by line, verse by verse, then tied the verses together to paint a 'living' picture.

I passed through some twenty centuries of world history, prophesied by the Creator Himself to the dispersed Jews and the Christians in the world's developing nations. As I passed through verses 4 through 14, following the devastations and dispersions of 70 A.D., I realized that these were not just signs for the end times, but that these same signs had touched down at some point, somewhere on earth, in every generation since the first century A.D.

Hence every generation of Christians counted their's "the last generation" and looked for the return of Jesus Christ. The world's Jewry looked for the coming of Messiah and the perpetual 'next year' return to Jerusalem. But in every generation, both Christian and Jew missed the vital clue - the Jews would have to be back in Israel and Israel would have to be the Jewish homeland again before any of these events counted as 'end-time' signs of His coming...

The resurrection of the nation of Israel in 1948 was a world-wide awakening to the stark reality of this 1,900 year old prophecy. Promises fitly spoken by God through the prophets of old had now come to pass. And in Matthew 24, for 1,900 years, the prophecies of verses 15 through 35 replanted the Jews smack dab in their ancient lands of Israel. This was to assure the Church, the Jews and the rulers of nations ahead of time that the day would come when Israel would return as a nation to the land of his fathers. And it would be the generation of their return that would usher in the Rapture of the Church, the Great Tribulation judgments and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

It didn't happen in the Middle Ages. It didn't happen in the Dark Ages. It didn't happen in the Age of Enlightenment. These Catholic (and barbaric) kings of Europe had been given history's greatest opportunity to spread the Gospel of the Kingdom throughout all the world (V. 14) and invite with Godly love the salvation of the Jews among them. Instead they chose to obey Papal Rome who controlled the nations through the reigns of the kings, and who hated the Jews.

In time the greedy and blood-thirsty monarchs became so envious and resentful of the Jewish enterprising skills, there was just no love in their cold hard hearts for the Chosen people of God. They believed the teachings of religious Rome and obeyed the directives of political Rome, not realizing the powers of Rome had usurped the sacred Vicarship and authority of the Holy Spirit. Don't be shocked - I tell you the truth - the most holy and only representative of Jesus Christ on this earth is the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of Prophecy.

A mess of European monarchs - far from being spiritually taught or fundamentally righteous - had failed to connect the dots. How could they? They didn't study the Scriptures for themselves. They left such trivia to Rome...

So it should have been no surprise when Rome issued the cry "Christ killers" against the Jews. Instead, the world picked up the cry. Satan's big lie, Replacement Theology, was born of this viral hatred and its false and deadly teachings are still alive and well today. Europe's gullible rulers, seeking to please the masses, saw to it the Jews were persecuted, stripped of their assets and even killed or exiled into some other miserable anti-semitic land.

One day these long-dead kings - with the long-dead vicars of Rome (not of Christ) - will answer to the King of kings for their treatment of His brothers. And anyone else with similar animosity toward the Jews had better listen up and take notes. The Lord made this promise in Joel 3:2, and it is one of those prophecies that is to be fulfilled in the near future. So heed this warning: anyone foolish enough to mock such a promise or curse a Jew for any reason will reap the reward of the unbelievers...

The Jews returned to Israel in 1948 - an event set by the only timepiece that is accurate - God's recorded 70 weeks of years determined upon the Jews and the holy city, "to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy" (Daniel 9:24).

The 1,980 years of Church Age, (since 30 A.D.) includes the 62 years since Israel's rebirth in 1948 and brings us to today, a day like unto the days of Noah. But that isn't the only bell ringer...

The retaking of Jerusalem in 1967, a mere 43 years ago, made Jerusalem - even all of Israel - the cup of trembling that she is today. And it isn't over yet. Predetermined battles are just ahead and those world leaders that kick against the thorns will not be fighting against the Jews but against God Himself. Meaning - they are going to perish in the thorn bush...

We can rejoice. We can lift up our hands and our voices and declare the faithfulness of God who said He would do it - and He has done it. And He will keep doing it until all is fulfilled. I tell you brothers and sisters in Christ, we serve a mighty and awesome God...

We are at the threshold of eternity. Look up - our redemptions are so very near, even at the doors. Jesus said the generation that sees all these prophecies and all these events coming to pass shall not pass away (shall not utterly die out) before all is fulfilled. He also said that heaven and earth shall pass away but that His words shall not pass away.

We are told by Jesus to 'watch therefore' for we do not know at what hour our Lord will come for us. They were not watching in Noah's day. They were mocking Noah, laughing hysterically, until God opened the underground springs and it started to rain. Then it was too late, the floods came and swept the ark to safety and those left behind perished. So shall also the coming of the Son of man be (Vs. 37-39).

Be ready as Noah and his family were ready on their appointed day, for in such an hour as you think not, the Son of Man will come. As Noah and his family entered into the ark at the urging of the Lord, we are to turn away from the wickedness of our day and enter into the ark of safety that is Jesus Christ. It is time...

I believe the verses the Lord wanted to impress upon me are the warnings in Verses 23-28. In these days of tremendous deceit and conspiracies many false prophets and false Christ's will arise (and have already arisen) to ensnare the saints as Satan tried to ensnare Jesus in the wilderness. So if they say, 'He is here or there' do not believe it, do not rush out to the desert, the secret chambers or the church in the wilderness to find Him.

The true Christ will not be there - only a demon-filled usurper will be waiting to take your money and your crown, and fill you with the rot of the demons of hell.

To the tribulation saints Jesus gives a specific word: The true Jesus will not be found hiding in the desert or the secret chambers. The Second Coming of our Lord will be in the clouds, just as He said, coming from the East shining unto the West, with multitudes of angels and saints coming with Him. And every eye on this earth will see Him coming in power and great glory. You will know Him when you see Him, riding a white horse, His robes dipped in the blood of His judgment, wielding the sword of the Almighty...

Remember these things when the temptors seek to overwhelm you. Remember - Jesus is coming to the cloud regions first to steal away His resurrected and glorified Bride who will rise to meet Him in the air. It is called the Rapture of the Church, and it is the first phase of His Second Coming.

The Rapture is the event that the saints of today are admonished by Jesus to watch for...watch for...watch for...watch for...

Joan Krempel
August 4, 2010
joan@joankrempelministries.com