How does Matthew 24 and the book of Revelation relate to each other?
The most important thing to understand is that they both speak about the end times, that is the same event. There will be only one second coming of the LORD so they are about the same thing.
Even though the book of Revelation is more detailed in the events that go on during the tribulation period, the chapter 24 of the book of Matthew is a great help to put those events in chronological order because it is more like a summary of the most important parts of the tribulation period.
This article will be one of a group of articles in which I will describe the Timeline to the end as I understand it from the interpretation of the Bible.
Ok let’s start with (Matthew 24: 4-8), ” 4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many. 6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.” KJV.
Verses 4 and 5 are a warning against the antichrist spirit who is already at work since JESUS’ first coming. That is an ongoing situation. As it is explained in (2 Thessalonians 2:3-8), ” 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming:” KJV.
This mystery of iniquity is the revealing of the antichrist, that will happen after the restrainer is removed from the earth but Paul wrote in the epistle that it had already started. This is a prophetic insight given by JESUS HIMSELF, the restrainer, who is the HOLY SPIRIT, will be removed from the earth, and then the antichrist will be revealed. If all true Christians have the HOLY SPIRIT in them, all Christians have to be removed from the earth before the antichrist is revealed.
But verses 6 and 7 are the beginning of sorrows: “wars and rumors of wars, nation against nation, kingdom against kingdom, famines, pestilences, earthquakes in divers places.”
The tribulation will start with wars, famines, pestilences and earthquakes in divers places.
Have you already noticed how all these signs are increasing right now?, these will increase as the beginning of the tribulation approaches.
Then in (Matthew 24: 9-13), ” 9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake. 10 And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another. 11 And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. 12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. 13 But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.” KJV.
Verse 9 is very important because the tribulation has already started and this Christian persecution will be major during the first three and a half years. The antichrist knows that while there are Christians alive on earth he cannot declare himself god. Once the Christians are eliminated he will go after the GOD believing Jews. So those who survive the Christian extermination will go into great tribulation with the Jews.
Verses 10 to 12 describe how the secular world will act toward each other and this is mainly because of the opening of the first seal and the release of the antichrist spirit over the earth. For CHRISTIAN believers I have to mention that in verse 13, enduring to the end does not mean the end of the tribulation it just means until that believers own death, for we must remember that the LORD offered us a escape that is the Rapture, and the Christians that go through the tribulation were not ready at the time of the Rapture and were left behind. They will become the tribulation saints, and as such they have to give their lives for the testimony of JESUSCHRIST. This is confirmed in (Revelation 6: 9-11), ” 9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? 11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.” KJV.
Verse 11 above says all of them have to be killed. These will be killed by the application of the Noahide Laws all over the world. And once they are all killed then the antichrist will be revealed.
Then in (Matthew 24: 14-15), ” 14 And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come. 15 When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:)” KJV.
Verse 14 says the gospel will be preached in all the nations before the revealing of the antichrist, it talks about the ministry of the Two Witnesses. They carry out the preaching of the Gospel while the massacre of Christians is taking place, but I must notice that the ministry of the Two Witnesses lasts only three and a half years, the first half of the tribulation period. When they are killed (the Two Witnesses), the world that is executing Christians will celebrate until they resurrect, and fear will come back to the world (Rev 11:7-12), Why? Because the Two Witnesses were sending plague after plague over the world for their murdering of innocent people and for their unbelief. When the Two Witnesses are called up to heaven, the HOLY SPIRIT will leave earth with them, there will be no more Christians alive on earth from that point on, so the SPIRIT of GOD just leaves.
Now verse 15 can take place, the restrainer is no longer restraining and the antichrist can declare himself god of the earth.
I want to point out that the preaching of the Gospel must fall into the hands of the 144,000 from then on. Their ministry starts with the abomination of desolation and lasts until the coming of the LORD (Rev 12:17).
In (Matthew 24: 16-20), ” 16 Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: 17 Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: 18 Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. 19 And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! 20 But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:.” KJV.
In all these verses JESUS is talking to the Jew believer. Once the abomination of desolation happens, (revealing of the antichrist as god), the Jew believer will have to flee to the wilderness to escape because now they will be hunted by the antichrist, only them, for the Christians have been exterminated. The ministry of the 144,000 begins.
This next passage of Zechariah adds more information of the time of the escape. (Zec 14:4-5), “[4] And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. [5] And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.” KJV. At the time of the escape, the LORD will stand on mount of olives bringing the 144,000 to earth for the start of their ministry. The first great earthquake of (Rev 6:8) happens and splits the mount of olives. This is the same earthquake after the resurrection of the two witnesses.
This situation is also explained by the following verses (Revelation 12: 13-17), ” 13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. 14 And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. 16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” KJV.
In verse 13 above, the woman refers to Israel, and in verse 17 (Rev 12), the remnant of her seed refers to the 144,000. They are now the ones preaching the word of GOD and the Gospel of JESUS, but they only preach to the Jews not to the gentiles for without the HOLY SPIRIT no one can repent. Only the Jews will have the chance to accept JESUS and be saved, becoming part of the remnant.
In (Matthew 24: 21-28), ” 21 For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. 22 And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. 23 Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25 Behold, I have told you before. 26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. 27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 28 For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.” KJV.
Verses 21 and 22 refer to the beginning of the last three and a half years of the tribulation period. The shortening of the day refer to an impact of a large meteor with earth that will reduce the time it takes the earth to rotate over its axes. This is corroborated by (Revelation 12:9), ” 9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” KJV.
Satan falls first, his angels fall afterwards.
Verses 23 to 28 talk about the great apostasy. This is better explained by this paragraph (2 Thessalonians 2: 8-12), ” 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” KJV.
Again we must remember the HOLY SPIRIT has left the world, no one can repent or accept the LORD without HIM, so those Jews who live through the great tribulation are in danger of believing the lie and be condemned forever, only the 144,000 can lead them to the truth.
Verse 28 of (Mat 24) points out that they will die for believing the lie of the antichrist.
In (Matthew 24: 29-33), ” 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. 32 Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: 33 So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors.” KJV.
Verse 29 describes what has to happen before the appearing of our LORD. Verses 30 and 31 describe the situation at HIS coming. We can match this moment in time with (Rev 12:9-11) which we have discussed above, and with (Revelation 6:12-17), ” 11 And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. 12 And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; 13 And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. 14 And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. 15 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; 16 And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: 17 For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand? ” KJV.
Verses 32 and 33 provide a reference, when you see these signs of the sun, the moon, and the stars, the LORD is about to appear. Verse 32 does not refer to Israel. Some people say it does refer to Israel, and that Israel has to blossom for the LORD to come. No that is not true, it only means a time reference so people is not surprised. We must see this things into context, the Two Witnesses have just died, and the 144,000 are starting their ministry. There are three and a half more years to go, of great tribulation for the Jews. There is no blossoming here during the first half of the tribulation. Only the New World Order is growing and in control of the world. Israel is just waiting for their great tribulation to start.
In (Matthew 24: 34-42), ” 34 Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. 35 Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. 36 But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.” KJV.
The generation JESUS talks about in verse 34 is not the last generation, is not the generation that sees the fig tree blossoming (Israel). Put the phrase into context. JESUS is talking to HIS disciples only, this generation refers to those alive at the time JESUS spoke these words who do not believed in HIM. Those are the Pharisees and Sadducee and Elders of the Sanhedrin, who rejected HIM even to death. They are not hearing the warning so they will be surprised by the coming of our LORD. This generation refers to the evil and adulterous generation of (Matthew 16:4), (Matthew 23:36), and (Genesis 7:1), (Psalms 12:7). Please read the vision The Double Passunder and the Rapture to understand this concept.
In verses 35 and 36 JESUS explains these things are a done deal, they will happen at a time known only by HIS Father. So if you are not watching for these signs, you will be surprised by HIS coming. Verses 38 and 39 confirm this by saying in the times of Noe, the evil generation of the time laughed at Noe while he built his arc, and when the flood came they all were surprised. The same will happen to the Pharisees and unbelievers when the LORD comes.
Verses 40, 41 and 42 apply to those who are not watching, to those who will be surprised and taken to hell. That does not refer to the Rapture. So the LORD says to them “watch”, why? because if you watch, and you pay attention to HIS words, you won’t be surprised and nothing of these will fall over you. You will be spared.
This is confirmed in (Matthew 24 : 43-47), ” 43 But know this, that if the goodman 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. 44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. 45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.” KJV.
This whole passage is about the Rapture. If you watch as your LORD is asking you to do, you won’t be surprised by HIS coming, and HE will spare you from any punishment, in fact HE will bless you and make you a ruler over all HIS goods. How can that happen on earth during the tribulation period? Aren’t the goods of the LORD in heaven? Didn’t HE say my kingdom is not of this world? This is the same blessing given to those who keep the words of the Revelation given to John, (Revelation 1: 3), ” 3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” KJV.
For there is punishment appointed for those who are not watching as it is explained in (Matthew 24: 48-51), ” 48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” KJV.
Those who are not ready, watching will suffer as the hypocrites, (the pharisees), for to them the LORD said in (Matthew 23: 33), “33 Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?” KJV.
The Pharisees are condemned already, they can not escape their destiny, and those who won’t watch for the LORD’S coming will have the same destiny.
As we can see Matthew 24 is written in a chronological way and has helped me understand the events described in the book of Revelation.
GOD bless you and keep you.
