Jesus foretold the desolation time – Matthew 24

Matthew 24: 34-35 “I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away” (NIV).

   I confront this challenging and disputed passage.

   Jesus was simply returning to the first question posed by the disciples to foretell the time period when the destruction of the temple would take place.  And the answer: Within a generation!

   I learned in my “Interpreting the Bible” class at Colorado Christian University that Hebrew writers sometimes wrote in patterns.  One pattern is now coined a “concentric” pattern, which is “abcba,” (or such), with “c” being a pinnacle point.  Other patterns were “abba” or “abab.”  I think we have general “abab” pattern here:

a – As recorded in Matthew 24:15-28, Jesus addressed the first question of the disciples.

b – As recorded in Matthew 24:29-33, Jesus addressed the second question of the disciples.

a – As recorded in Matthew 24:34-35, Jesus shifted to conclude with the first question of the disciples.

b – As recorded in Matthew 24:36-51, Jesus shifted to conclude with the second question of the disciples.

   The first question asked by the disciples of Jesus was, “When will this happen?”  And “this” was the statement in Matthew 24:2 where Jesus foretold of the destruction of the temple.  I read once that Hebrews considered a generation to be a period of forty years.  If so, and considering forty years as a general number, Jesus was foretelling the fact that the temple would be destroyed within forty years.

   About forty years after this prophecy from Jesus, the rampage by the Romans against the Jewish people began, and then the temple was destroyed about three years later.  (Keep in mind our calendar is a bit off because apparently leap years were not taken into account in the original Christian calendar which is the root of the calendar still in use today in western civilization.  Thus A.D., which stands for “anno Domini,” actually started around 6 or 5 B.C., instead of year “one” as was intended by the studious yet human monk who developed the calendar.)

   Thus Jesus foretold that “the abomination that causes desolation,” which Daniel foretold would take place during the 70th week, was coming within a generation.  Indeed, this tribulation took place from 66/67 A.D. to 73/74 A.D., and the temple was torn to the ground by the Roman army.  Jesus was correct.

   May we be mindful that Jesus gave a time period prophecy for the second destruction of the temple, as recorded in this passage we have just examined, and that total disaster happened.

   Jesus gave a loving warning.

Hunter Irvine

Summer of Christ’s Love

Matthew 24: 32-33 “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.  Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door” (NIV).

   In giving this analogy of the fig tree, Jesus speaks of summer.  For those who believe in Jesus, and who are here when the Second Coming of Christ takes place, it will be the grandest of “summer” days.  “Rapture celebration” is an utterly fitting phrase.

   For those who are not believers in Jesus, the rapture will be the start of a terrifying and deadly “winter.”

   The “end times” tribulation will not be an opportunity for a fun adventure for any sane person for any extended period of time.  It is logical that since the end result of the tribulation will be a military confederation of troops from all nations attacking Israel, which we know from Zechariah, then what will take place up to that point will be a mass rebellion against God.

   The book of Revelation, from chapter four up to the last few chapters, records a vision of the apostle John.  I am no authority on Revelation, yet I have pondered the book enough to be ever grateful to our Lord God Almighty that heaven is where I will be at the end of this age.

   So in summary, following the glorious epic event of the first stage of the Second Coming of Christ foretold by Jesus here in Matthew 24, the finale of God’s renewal is still to come.  Tragically, there will be that tribulation of judgment in the world.  Yet after that period of time, in continued glory, Christ will return into the world.  He will stand on the Mount of Olives, and rescue the Jewish people from that military attack.

   Then still to come will be Judgment Day.  Then Jesus will renew heaven and earth.

   It is all more than I can fathom.  Christ’s final judgment requires us to trust Jesus with all our heart.

   Heading to the finish line in the next month with this intense meditative study of Matthew 24, I do want to make the Biblical point that we have no idea when Jesus is coming back, as Jesus clearly states in Matthew 24:36.  To predict such is a sin.

   Yet the Second Coming of Christ is an event we should be anticipating in our hearts, because it will be a day of victorious celebration for all those who have been adopted as children of God by the mercy offered by Jesus, the Lamb of God!

   Jesus is God the Son, one with the Father and the Holy Spirit.

   Jesus said: “I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!...” (Revelation 1:18).

   I close with quotes from the dialogue in a prison, between Paul and Silas and the jailer:

   “The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.  He then brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’

   They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved – you and your household.’  Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house” (Acts 16:29-32).

   Indeed, believe in Jesus as your Savior and Lord, and you will be saved!

Hunter Irvine

Rapture celebration – Matthew 24

Matthew 24:30-31 “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn.  They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.  And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other” (NIV).

   Jesus continues with His answer to the second question asked by His disciples as recorded in Matthew 24:3.  That second question was: "What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"

   Now, Jesus reveals a phenomenal event which is the genuine “Rapture.”

   In my previous piece, I explained this “loud trumpet call” will represent a wealth of meanings, and celebration will be a key one.  Celebration will be certain for believers in Jesus as they will be ushered by angels into the full presence of our loving Lord God Almighty!

   Those angels will gather the “elect.”  Who are the “elect?”

   This single word in no way leads us to adhering to a doctrine of “predestination.”  As the apostle Peter stated, “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God” (I Peter 3:18).

   The bottom line: No human was completely righteous, yet Christ died for us all; the atonement was unlimited.

   Peter did speak of election: “Therefore, my brothers and sisters, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure” (2 Peter 1:10).  In the next verse, 2 Peter 1:11, Peter refers to Jesus as “our Lord and Savior.”  Anyone who receives Jesus as her or his Savior is elected to Christ’s kingdom, and is called to grow in the holiness of God.  God enables, since the moment a person believes in Jesus, she or he is baptized with the Holy Spirit.

   When the rapture comes, how will the elect be gathered?

   It will be an utterly supernatural matter.

   I simply offer one exclamation mark to the entire event: Our all-powerful Father, who can do anything good, “raptured” Jesus when Jesus ascended into heaven as recorded in Acts 1:9-11.

   Just as Jesus ascended into heaven, there will be the ascension of every single true believer in Jesus on that glorious day, and that ascension will involve angels.  All believers will be with Jesus in full for evermore!!!

   You can join that celebration, whether you are on earth or in heaven when the rapture takes place, a future time which only the Father knows.  You need to truly believe in Jesus.

   Jesus died on a cross for the forgiveness of sins of anyone.  He was the substitutional atonement for the consequence of sins, which is spiritual death.  Then Jesus was resurrected.  If you believe in Jesus as your Savior and Lord, then you will have eternal life.

Hunter Irvine

The Second Coming of Christ trumpet announcement – Matthew 24

Matthew 24:30-31 “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn.  They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.  And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other” (NIV).

   The disciples of Jesus asked two questions, as recorded in Matthew 24:3.  Now we are reaching the fullness of Christ’s response to the second question!  The question was: What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?

   The bottom line: What is now termed “The Second Coming of Christ” will take place in two stages, and Jesus has begun revealing the commencement of it all.

   Decades before Paul wrote his first epistle to the Thessalonians, Jesus revealed what is now commonly termed the “rapture.”

   Quite the opposite of an invisible and silent rapture, the “rapture” will involve “a loud trumpet call.”

   Decades later, Paul would give a detail which connected the revelation by Jesus recorded here in Matthew 24 with his own teaching about that event.  Paul told there will be “the trumpet call of God,” recorded in I Thessalonians 4:16.

   The word trumpet is found frequently in Scripture, and trumpet calls had a number of purposes.  I mention several here.

   First of all, as the LORD was descending upon Mount Sinai, a trumpet sound was involved: “…there was thunder and lightning, with a thick cloud over the mountain, and a very loud trumpet blast…” (Exodus 19:16).  The author of Hebrews even addressed this event as recorded in Hebrews 12:18-20.

   If you keep reading that Exodus passage through to Exodus 19:23, holiness is signaled.  The loud trumpet blast likely indicated the holiness of God.

   Trumpets were to be used in a feast which preceded the “Day of Atonement.”  “The LORD said to Moses, ‘Say to the Israelites: ‘On the first day of the seventh month you are to have a day of rest, a sacred assembly commemorated with trumpet blasts’’” (Leviticus 23:23-24).

   Nine days later, the “Day of Atonement” would take place.

   Trumpets here signified a sacred occasion and coming atonement.

   Plus in the year of jubilee: “Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land” (Leviticus 25:9).

   Trumpets here were a sound of celebration!

   Trumpets were used for the anointing of a king as recorded in II Kings 9:13 and I Kings 1:39.

   Regarding Solomon being anointed as king: “Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon.  Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, ‘Long live King Solomon!’” (I Kings 1:39).

   Trumpets here signified a celebration of royalty and rule.

   When the temple was dedicated: “… the priests blew their trumpets, and all the Israelites were standing” (2 Chronicles 7:6).

   Such an occasion involved a sacred dedication.

   When the prophet Isaiah spoke of bringing back Israelites to their homeland, he stated: “And in that day a great trumpet will sound.  Those who were perishing in Assyria and those who were exiled in Egypt will come and worship the LORD on the holy mountain in Jerusalem” (Isaiah 27:13).

   The trumpet here was a call to worship.

   The prophet Jeremiah asked: “How long must I see the battle standard and hear the sound of the trumpet?” (Jeremiah 4:21).

   Trumpets were often used as a call to battle.

   During my intense Lenten study of Joel, a trumpet call was invoked: “Blow the trumpet in Zion, declare a holy fast, call a sacred assembly” (Joel 2:15).

   Trumpets were used to call a sacred assembly.

   Progressing into the New Testament, Paul stated “the trumpet will sound” in I Corinthians 15:52.

   Resurrection is spoken of in this passage!

   Starting in Revelation 8:6, each angel sounds a trumpet!

   Trumpets indicate judgment in this context.

   And I must quote Revelation 11:15.  “The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said: ‘The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he will reign for ever and ever.’”

   Absolutely incredible that each of these specific purposes of a trumpet call will be signified in the Second Coming of Christ.  Jesus is God the Son, thus His very nature is holy and sacred.  Jesus made atonement for anyone on the cross, and all believers will be brought into His presence in full at this first stage of the Second Coming in a sacred assembly unlike any in history.  Indeed believers will share in the resurrection of Christ.  And in the wake of the “rapture,” Jesus will descend to the Mount of Olives.  The last battle call will be carried out, and Jesus will be victorious.  Final judgment will be carried out by Jesus as He judges the living and the dead, and His righteousness will be carried out.  Then Jesus will reign forever as the King of kings.

   And along with all the meaning of this epic trumpet call from God, the sound will blare out a call to celebration to every believer of Jesus.  People who follow Jesus will be united in full with their Savior and Lord on that glorious day! Celebration will be the result.

   Billions of human beings will celebrate eternal life, a grand blessing beyond any description I can offer.

   In this day and age of rock music, it seems a bit old fashioned to imagine a loud trumpet call blaring from heaven.  Yet though there is much symbolism behind the trumpet call, it will be a literal calling of victory and celebration.

   And you can celebrate eternal life even today.  What you need to do is believe in Jesus.

   Jesus Christ died on a cross for the forgiveness of sins of anyone.  Jesus was the atoning sacrifice for the consequence of sins, which is spiritual death.  Then Jesus was resurrected.  If you believe in Jesus as your Savior and Lord, you will be forgiven of your sins, and you will have eternal life!  And you will be able to celebrate in your heart the goodness of God, even today.

Hunter Irvine

The Second Coming of Christ on the horizon – Matthew 24

Matthew 24: 28-29   “Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.  Immediately after the distress of those days -

‘the sun will be darkened, 

and the moon will not give its light;

the stars will fall from the sky, 

and the heavenly bodies will be shaken’” (NIV).

   Jesus has started to answer the second question which had been asked by the disciples.  The question was: “What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

   After talking about false Messiahs, He made the above statement about “vultures.”  Ever since the ascension of Jesus and the fall of Jerusalem, there have been plenty of people who have taken advantage of other people in a “religious” manner in this fallen world.

   And I think this helps us understand the challenging question raised by the statement of Jesus: “Immediately after the distress of those days…” (Matthew 24:29).  The question: What are “those days?”  And what time period does “immediately” refer to?

   I think “those days” are a metaphor for the past 1,950 years and counting since the fall of Jerusalem.  These “days” have included continued suffering of the Hebrew people, and “religious” turmoil throughout the whole world due to many people rejecting Jesus.

   “Those days” do not refer to the fall of Jerusalem tribulation.  Jesus did not return after that seven year period.

   And "those days" do not refer to the “end times” tribulation.  Jesus is just starting to talk about the genuine rapture.

   Thus “immediately” should be interpreted as what will take place when a time comes, which will be one hundred percent deemed by God the Father, which will start the final period for the world.  Such will involve the first stage of the Second Coming of Christ, a final tribulation, the second stage of Christ’s coming which will entail a rescue of the Israelites from a military confederation of all nations, and the finale of “Judgment Day.”

   I conclude this piece by asking: What will be the nature of this astronomy event?

Jesus said: “…the sun will be darkened,

and the moon will not give its light;

the stars will fall from the sky,

and the heavenly bodies will be shaken” (Matthew 24:29).

   Prophecies regarding the sun, moon, and stars were addressed by me this past winter as I shared my study on the book of Joel.  I examined the three separate times Joel talks about a similar astronomical event.  Here is a fourth.  Yet though they are adding up, I advocate the statements about the sun and moon not giving light are more than literary metaphors.  I advocate they will be real astronomical events of some sort.

   Consider the statement by Jesus recorded in Luke, which is a statement from the same discourse recorded here in Matthew.  There in Luke 21:25, Jesus states: “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.”

   I do not know exactly what is going to happen.  I do know it will be something supernatural which rocks our fragile ecosystem, carried out by our all-powerful God!

   The point for us to focus on here is what this event is signaling.  In my writings on the book of Joel this past February and March, I made the key statement: “The sun and moon being darkened indicate an aspect of an event where there is judgment, followed by a grand blessing of God.”

   Looking ahead to the next verse, there is a general statement of judgment right from the start.  That is why Jesus states: “…and all the nations of the earth will mourn” (Matthew 24:30).  There will be guilt for many right from the top, because there will be a number of people from all nations who will fail to believe in Jesus.  They will fail to think Jesus is seated at the right hand of the father.  And they will fail to believe in His return to judge the living and the dead.  Yet there Jesus will be!

   On the flip side, there will be the grand blessing for all believers in Jesus!!!

   The redeemed-in-Christ will be united with Jesus forever!!!

   The rapture, a loud celebration, is coming!!!

   I am excited!!!

Hunter Irvine

Why is the doctrine of a secret rapture so popular?

Matthew 24:27   “For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (NIV).

Why is the doctrine of a secret rapture so popular?

The answer: The root of the problem is a misinterpretation of Daniel 9:24-27.

   The angel Gabriel gave a prophecy to Daniel which involved 70 “weeks,” a “week” being a metaphor for 7 years.  The 69th week ended at the time of Christ’s ministry.  The misinterpretation, carried out by a number of theologians, is the conviction that the 70th “week” has not taken place yet.  They say the 70th week will not take place until an undetermined time in the future.  Detaching the 70th “week” by nearly 2,000 years and counting is a drastic error.

   (With no intention of degrading those theologians, in a supplemental piece which will be posted in November, I will get into specifics on one Biblical interpretation which became a major influence in the 20th century regarding the rapture.)

   So when Jesus starts talking about the prophecy in Daniel 9:24-27, boom, they deduct that Jesus is talking about the “end times” tribulation.

   They ignore the context of the first question by the disciples recorded in Matthew 24:3.  So their error leads them to think that what Jesus is revealing here in Matthew 24:27 and in upcoming verses has to do with the second stage of the Second Coming of Christ, when Jesus will stand on the Mount of Olives.  (They see the Mount of Olives arrival as the first time He is visible to all people since His ascension.)

   However, what Jesus is going to reveal in the upcoming verses does not fit the Mount of Olives return.  Jesus does reveal a rapture in Matthew 24:31.

   Confusing this Second Coming revelation in Matthew 24 with the Mount of Olives return, prophesied by Zechariah, their major details about the rapture go awry.  They designate a rapture which would be unseen and unheard by everyone but believers.  In their rapture, it would seem to people left behind that Christians suddenly disappeared.  There is no solid Biblical support for such.

   It all got on the wrong path with misinterpreting Daniel 9:24-27.

   Does this matter?  Yes.  Misinterpreting Scripture is always a problem.  Theologians are human, and not one of us has a perfect Biblical interpretation.  Yet we all need to keep learning.

   This secret rapture interpretation creates a false mystery about our relational Messiah, rather than putting an emphasis on the continued unveiling of Jesus Christ which will take place.

   And this secret rapture interpretation makes the rapture a bit creepy, as opposed to the fact that the rapture will be a glorious celebration for those who love Jesus.

   I close with one interesting fact, since it supports the general reality of a coming rapture.  However, even though it has been used to infer a “secret rapture,” it is not solid evidence of such.  In the book of Revelation, the focus of chapter two and chapter three is seven churches.  But then, from chapter four to near the end of the book, the word church is not used again.  Interesting.

   God makes the statement at the beginning of chapter four: “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this” (Revelation 4:1).

   So most theologians think the vision of John throughout the remainder of the book of Revelation takes place after the “rapture.”  I think this is reasonable.

   Yet the lack of any mention of the subject of the rapture in the book of Revelation does not establish a “silent rapture.”

   Thus from where we stand in learning from the discourse of Jesus here in Matthew 24, the rapture has yet to be foretold.  Yet brace yourself.  As Jesus continues to unveil His Second Coming, there will be a rapture essence to it.

   And that first stage of the Second Coming is going to be a loud, joyous celebration for all those who follow Jesus, our Savior and Lord!

Hunter Irvine

The Second Coming of Christ – Matthew 24

Matthew 24: 26-27 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the desert,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.  For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (NIV).

   Now Jesus starts answering question number two for the disciples.

   Their question was: “What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

   When Jesus returns, everyone will know it.

   Jesus came to earth over 2,000 years ago, born as a baby in a barn.

   When Jesus returns, He will come in glory more visible than lightning.

   After centuries of pain and suffering in this world, Jesus promises that He is coming back!!!

   The apostles were reminded of this promise when an angel spoke to them as they stood in amazement when Jesus ascended into heaven.

   “Men of Galilee," they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky?  This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).

   At Colorado Christian University, my adjunct professor for my New Testament survey class was a gifted teacher, and he made the class fun.  He clicked with us students.  He boldly stated the rapture will not be a disappearance of all Christians which is unseen and silent to all others, even though that was the popular teaching at the time.  He stated the rapture will be seen and heard by Christians and everyone else.

   That professor highlighted Matthew 24:27 and Matthew 24:30-31 to instruct that the rapture will take place with Jesus returning to the world in a visible majestic manner.

   I agree.

   But that professor never got into any details beyond his statement.  I will continue to get into details.  My next piece will examine why an unseen and silent rapture is such a popular doctrine at this time, even though it is off.

   Yet at this moment, we can start to celebrate in our hearts as we have received glorious revelations from Jesus in simply one single sentence.  Jesus is going to return!!!  And everyone will know it!!!

Hunter Irvine