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23 Then if anyone says to you, "Look, here is the Christ!" or "There!" do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 Therefore if they say to you, "Look, He is in the desert!" do not go out; or "Look, He is in the inner rooms!" do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. 28 For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together. ~ Matthew 24:23-28
Today, we continue our study of Matthew 24 which centers in on the End Times. This chapter is in response to the disciples question in Matthew 24:3, "What will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" As we have mentioned before, Matthew 24 is divided into three parts. The first fourteen verses describe the first three and a half years of the Tribulation and v.15-31 describe the last three and a half years of the Tribulation. Matthew 24 corresponds with Revelation 6-19 which describes the Tribulation in detail. The purpose of the Tribulation will be to offer the nation of Israel a last opportunity to believe in the Lord Jesus as their Messiah.
In v.23-24 of today's passage we read, "23 Then if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or 'There!' do not believe it. 24 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect."
These words of the Lord Jesus will be for those who will be living on earth during the Tribulation or as the Old Testament prophet Daniel describes it, the seventieth seven of Daniel 9. During that time there will be world-wide religious deceit. The false messiahs and prophets will serve the anti-christ who will openly rule and reign on this earth at that time. They will perform signs and wonders causing many to believe in the lie. Those not defined by God's Word will be deceived. With the emphasis on what will be seen, the Lord informs His hearers to evaluate out of the posture that is informed by the Word of God. We have not yet entered into this time of tribulation, but the birth pains have come. Wars, rumors of wars, disease, disasters, and famines abound. And, the persecution of God's people will be on the rise. Therefore, we must be about our Father's business, looking for those who have yet to believe in the Lord Jesus as their Savior, praying for them at every opportunity and sharing the gospel with them every chance we get.
In v.25-27 of today's passage we read, "25 See, I have told you beforehand. 26 Therefore if they say to you, 'Look, He is in the desert!' do not go out; or 'Look, He is in the inner rooms!' do not believe it. 27 For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be."
Even though many will come proclaiming to be the savior of the world, the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus will be obvious. At the end of the Tribulation He will appear in the sky. His appearance will be like the striking of the lightening, obvious and powerful. Previous to His appearing, volcanoes will erupt and tidal waves will arise. The havoc on the earth at that time will be the result of the heavens being shaken. The Lord Jesus will appear in the sky for all on earth to see. The main difference between the rapture of the church and His Second Coming will be obvious. At the Rapture, the Lord Jesus will appear in the sky but He will not descend to the earth. At the rapture of the church, we will be raised to meet the Lord in the air. At His Second Coming, He will physically come to earth, specifically at the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. When His feet touch the Mount of Olives at that time there will be a tremendous earthquake in Jerusalem.
In v.28 of today's passage we read, "For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together."
A better translation of the word translated "eagles" here is "vultures." Just as it is easy to find the carcass of a dead animal due to the circling vultures, the Second Coming will be obvious to all on earth at that time. The climax of all of human history will come with the appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord, with great power and glory.
According to Revelation 6 the people of the earth at that time will say to the mountains, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb."
After the opening of the sixth seal, there will be a great earthquake, the sun will turn black, the moon will turn blood red, the stars will fall out of the sky, the heavens will roll back like a scroll, and every mountain and island will be removed from its place. At the moment He returns fear will grip all the unsaved upon the earth.
The brain does something interesting when we experience fear. It tries to find the quickest way out of the discomfort. But, the problem is the unforgiven will not be able to escape their court date with the truth. The truth is we were all conceived sinful. And, as a result, for those who lack God's forgiveness for the penalty that was created by sin, they will be held accountable to pay that penalty. The payment will last for an eternity because it will never be enough to satisfy the truth.
Deceived totally by the devil, the unsaved will reach a point where they will not be able to believe. They will be defined by unbiblical fear to the point that they will be driven away from all that is true and loving. They will sadly feel at home with isolated darkness, but, darkness is not a place anyone would consider home. Isolated, and all alone, there will be no one present with the unsaved in eternity. This aloneness will not warrant relationship with anyone. They will experience an eternity of the closing in of the madness. Sadly, this will be where unbiblical fear will lead those with an unwilling heart.
All of this underscores the fact that salvation is a free gift for the taking. Of course, it came at a great cost for the Lord Jesus. He laid down His life for anyone willing and humble enough to receive His free gift. When man yielded to the sinful desires of Lucifer, it resulted in the disordering of our loves. When we trust the Lord Jesus, we are enabled to see love anew, and, our loves are rendered to what God intended them to be. For all of eternity, it will be His love for us that will capture our hearts in such a way that we will fully exist for His glory. No one will be able to hide from God. No one will escape the horror of the inequity of their sinfulness but it doesn't have to be that way. While there is yet time, let's pray for the unsaved and let's share the gospel with them as often as there is time.
