Matt 24:21-22 For then will be GREAT TRIBULATION, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever will be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.
There will be a remnant that becomes saved during these times. It will not be an easy place to be as a true believer. “The elect” in this passage is referring to them.
Matt 24:23 Then if any man will say to you, Lo, here is Messiah (Christ), or there; believe it not.
If any come saying they are Christ or the Messiah don’t believe it. Why??? Because when His comes again EVERY EYE will see Him. It will not be a surprise.
Matt 24:24-27 For there will arise false Messiahs (Christs), and false prophets, and will show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they will deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they will say to you, Behold, He is in the desert; go not forth: behold, He is in the secret chambers; believe it not. For as the lightning comes out of the east, and shines even to the west; so will also the coming of the Son of man be.
He is the eastern star.
If you are a new believer during this time His return will be fast and bright and you will have no trouble knowing when He returns.
Matt 24:28-29 For wherever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together. Immediately after the tribulation of those days will the sun be darkened, and the moon will not give her light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken:
This has not happened and will be a sign to Israel to take notice.
Matt 24:30-31 And then will appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then will all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they will see the “Son of man” coming in the CLOUDS of heaven with power and great glory. And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
This is the second coming.
The elect that Yeshua is speaking about here are those who have accepted Yeshua as their Messiah during the tribulation period.
This ends Yeshua’s summary of the tribulation events. Now He gives 3 signs that these events will take place.
Matt 24:32-34 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is here: So likewise you, when you will see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say to you, this generation will not pass, until all these things are fulfilled.
First sign:
The fig tree always symbolizes Israel. Yeshua is saying that when the fig tree (Israel) comes to bloom (becomes a nation again) this generation will not pass (die off) before Messiah (Christ) returns. You will see all these things in your lifetime.
Matt 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.
The earth will be destroyed like in the times of Noah but this time with fire.
Matt 24:36 But of that day and hour knows no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.
We can see the signs and make a logical guess when we are close but no one knows exactly when Yeshua will return. So don’t try to be dogmatic about it.
Second Sign:
Matt 24:37-39 But as the days of Noah were, so will also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so will also the coming of the Son of man be.
Noah took 100 years to build the ark and during that time he preached to the people of that day to repent. Had any of them repented they would have been able to board the ark too. The story of Noah is a picture of the Rapture and the Tribulation that follows. The L-rd provided for Noah and his family and made sure that they were all safe in the ark before He sent the rain. Noah’s family didn’t have to “swim for it”. However, the rest of the people of that day were too busy living for the moment and were destroyed by the flood. Today, many do not care about Messiah’s return and they will be left behind to face the 7-year judgment of G-d.
Matt 24:40-41 Then will two be in the field; the one will be taken, and the other left. Two women will be grinding at the mill; the one will be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for you know not what hour your L-rd does come.
This is describing the rapture.
We believe the rapture happens before the Tribulation begins. The tribulation begins with the signing of the peace treaty. (See Dan 9:27)
There are no events that must take place before the rapture. Though the rapture is a sign of the second coming too.
If He raptured us during the middle of the tribulation we could figure out when He was coming by a simple matter of adding it up. It could not be a surprise then could it?
One left one taken. The letter for this chapter is Beit - house, duality as in husband and wife; also division between good and evil, etc. Yeshua comes to take his betrothed out of harms way. We see those that do not belong to him are left.
This is the rapture or “catching away” and will be a sign that His second coming is getting near. On a round planet there will be those that are awake and working and on the other side you will have those that are sleeping.
Note: Some teach that this is not describing the rapture but the second coming. They say that the ones taken are the unbelievers and that they are taken to judgment. We feel that Yeshua’s second coming will be exactly 7-years after the signing of the peace treaty at the end of the Tribulation Period. So not knowing when He will rapture us seems more likely. Also, this passage indicates life is going along very naturally and it is business as usual when the one is taken and the other one is left. That seems to describe the rapture. At the end of the Tribulation Period, it will be anything but business as usual. We doubt that the believers will be working along side the unbelievers; after all, the believers will have refused to take the mark of the beast and will probably be in hiding or on the run.
Also some claim this is the Second Coming and to say it is the rapture is taking the passage out of context. Really? The questions asked at the beginning of the chapter were not only, “What will be the sign of your coming?” But also included.”AND of the END of the AGE?"
One of the signs of the “End of the Age” is definitely the “Catching away” or Rapture.
Third Sign:
Luke 17:32-34 Remember Lot's wife. Whosoever will seek to save his life will lose it; and whosoever will lose his life will preserve it. I tell you, in that night there will be two men in one bed; the one will be taken, and the other will be left.
Lot and his family were taken out of harms way before G-d brought destruction upon the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.
Isaiah 40:30-31:1 Even the youths will faint and be weary, and the young men will utterly fall: But they that wait upon Adonai will renew their strength; they will mount up with wings as eagles; they will run, and not be weary; and they will walk, and not faint.
Luke 21,Matthew 24 and Mark 13 are all part of the same teaching. The key timing verse is Luke 21 is verse 12 stating “But before all these things…” The passage is discussing the End Time and the Second Coming just as does Matthew 24 and Mark 13, this verse refers back before the Great tribulation “before all things” to a nearer event which served as a “type” of the coming tribulation period: namely, the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. The dispersion of the Jewish people into all nations continues until verse 24 in Luke 21. The “type-event” (Jerusalem 70A.D) merges with the antitype-event” (the end-time tribulation period.) beginning in verse 25. Verse 25 would then pick up the continuing discussion of Matthew 24 at verse 29 and Mark 13:24. The statement Luke 21:21 which is similar to Matthew 24:16-20, simply shows that similar events require similar instructions.
Matt 24:43-44 But know this, that if the owner of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. Therefore you be also ready: for in such an hour as you not think the Son of man comes.
We are to be waiting for the blessed hope. Those that are will receive a crown. There will be a trumpet sound and a shout.
1 Thess 4:16 -5:4 For the L-rd himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of G-d: and the dead in Messiah (Christ) will rise first: Then we which are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the L-rd in the air: and so will we ever be with the L-rd. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you. For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the L-rd so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, "Peace and safety!" then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they will not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief.
Here we see the RAPTURE or ‘catching away’ is described and it is referred to as coming like a THIEF IN THE NIGHT. The same as the description give in Matt 24:43-44.
When you have the blowing of the Shofar you have either a call to worship or a call to battle. In this case it will be both. There will be a call for all true believers to go to heaven to worship and sing. (Rev. 5:11-14) All redeemed believers singing in heaven. It will also be a call to battle for the angels and the wrath of G-d on earth.
(Blessings of Moshe in Deut. 33;Now continues blessings of Yeshua)
Matt 24:45-46 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord has made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he comes will find so doing.
When Yeshua returns it has to be unexpected. What will you be doing? It certainly makes you not want to be doing something wrong when He comes for us.
Matt 24:47-50 Verily I say to you, That He will make him ruler over all His goods. But and if that evil servant will say in his heart, My lord delays his coming; And will begin to smite his fellow servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looks not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, And will cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (More murmuring)
Now does this make much sense if we all knew when He was coming? So lets just wait for the peace treaty then we will know. Not. We should not know and I can understand why HaShem does not want us to know. He wants to keep us on our toes.
O my L-rd will not return so soon so I can get away with what I want for now, maybe later I will straighten up or stop from backsliding. Woe is me if this is my attitude. It would be a terrible thing to let Him down in such a way.