Matthew 24 Explained

Question

Dear Pastor Malone:

Thank you for all the information you have provided on your website concerning the rapture and the end times in general. It has been very helpful in answering my questions on the events in Revelation. I still have a
question, however.  In Matthew 24:29-31, Jesus describes what I assume is the rapture. However, He says that it occurs "immediately after the
tribulation of those days..." This seems to conflict with the pre-millenialist position. It could be argued that the "tribulation of those days" refers to the
pre-rapture "wars and rumor of wars," the "famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes," etc., but, then again, Jesus speaks of the Rapture occurring after the appearance of the abomination of desolation, which occurs during the 7-year reign of the antichrist.

Comments

Chris:

This is a simple interpretation.  Although I must say that many who believe Christians will go through the tribulation period use Matthew 24 as their proof.  Unfortunately, they have completely misinterpreted this scripture.  Of course, this is my belief and the only way that you will believe what I am about to say is that you be unbiased.  If you already believe that this is talking about the rapture taking place at the end of the tribulation period then I am wasting my time.  I've never changed the mind of one person who holds to this belief.  

Let's take a look at the scripture you are talking about:

[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:
[30] And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
[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.

Let me start by saying that Matthew 24 is a summation of the beginning church age through the Second Coming of Christ.

Verse 29 speaks about the latter part of the tribulation period.  We are also about done with the tribulation period at this point in chapter 24.

Verse 30 speaks of Christ visibly coming with the saints of God that have already been raptured.  Other Bible scriptures declare that we will come back with Christ to reign on earth.  It’s also generally believed by most Bible scholars that the rapture will happen as a thief in the night.  It’s something that will take the world by surprise and after it occurs will no longer be a secret.  This verse declares that the nations mourned when they shall the Son of Man.  This does not depict the surprise that I Thessalonians 5 states that the world will have. 

Verse 31 is important because it states that at the Second Coming of Christ, Jesus will send His angels with the sound of a trumpet and they will gather up the elect from around the world.  This is inconsistent with I Thessalonians 4:13-18.  This is what is says:

[13] But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope.
[14] For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him.
[15] For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep.
[16] For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
[17] Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
[18] Wherefore comfort one another with these words.

Verse 15-17 explains that we that are alive when the rapture occurs will not prevent those that have gone before us from rising (being raptured).  In fact, it states they (the dead) will be raptured first...then we which are alive will be caught up (raptured).

There is no mention of Jesus sending His angels throughout the world to gather the elect (Christians) in this passage, which describes the rapture in detail.  When the trumpet sounds we will be immediately ushered up.

The swiftness of that catching away is made evident in I Corinthians 15:51-52:

[51] Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
[52] In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

This is speaking of the rapture and how quickly it will take place.  Do you know how long a twinkling of and eye is?  Neither do I!  But I do know this, it's a lot faster then sending angels throughout the world to gather the elect.

So who are these elect of Matthew 24:31?  They are those who have come to know the Lord during the great tribulation period and have not been slain by the antichrist.  Two things you should know about the tribulation period...it will be a time of unprecedented horror and it will also bring about the greatest revival to date in world history.  Many, many millions will come to know the Lord during this timeframe.  One thing is for sure there will be no lukewarm Christians during the tribulation period.  It will literally be a matter of life and death and you will be all the way for the Lord or all the way for the antichrist.  

It should also be stated that those who die for their faith during this period will immediately go to be with the Lord as describe in Revelation 7:9-17.  It tells us that these were those that came out of great tribulation.  So it is plain that they are were executed during the tribulation period.

Those Christians who are not executed will be in hiding because as stated in Revelation 7:9-17 God will not protect them.  In fact verse 9 says that the number (slain) of the multitude was so great that no man could number them.  I will say this; God will protect some chosen Christians and Jews during the tribulation period.  They are the elect that Matthew 24:31 is speaking of and they will go into the millennium and repopulate the earth.  Christ will at this time set up His earthly kingdom and we as Christians will share in His 1000-year reign.

Last but not least, Matthew 24:44 leaves Christians with a stern warning.  His warning, to be ready, for we do not know the hour of His coming.  It’s plain to me that His coming will be a surprise and will shock the world.  This could not be the case at the end of the tribulation period, the world will be totally destroyed and in turmoil.   They will mourn and for good reason.