The Lord's disciples asked Jesus what is the sign of his coming and of the
close of the age in Mat 24, the key to literal understanding is "One"
generation was to see all these things. Beginning of the (sufferings,
sorrows, birth pains), the desolation spoke of the prophet Daniel, and the
Lord's return after the Tribulation. No generation in the past has seen
all these things. Even tho we have witnessed wars, famines, and pestilence
since Jesus left, no one generation has seen all the events Jesus
mentioned. A error by so many christians including myself in the past.

Why did the disciples mention the end of the age? Because it denotes time.
Based on the 7 days of creation.. And this Day of the Lord which is the
sabbath Day, the 7th day,  when God sets up his kingdom as I previously
wrote about concerning Dan 2.

The list is endless of the early church fathers who wrote that a Day of
the Lord is a thousand years, such as Irenaeus who said:

For in as many days as this world was made, in so many thousand years
shall it be concluded. And for this reason the Scripture says: "Thus the
heaven and the earth were finished, and all their adornment. And God
brought to a conclusion upon the sixth day the works that He had made; and
God rested upon the seventh day from all His works. This is an account of
the things formerly created, as also it is a prophecy of what is to come.
For the day of the Lord is as a thousand years: and in six days created
things were completed: it is evident, therefore, that they will come to an
end at the sixth thousand year.

The beginning of the (sorrows, suffering, birth pains) is the sign of the
close of the age. The time leading up to the close of the 6000 years. This
is the time for us to bear witness of what is to come and of the Great Day
of the Lord. And this is why 144,000 jews are not sealed tilled the Day of
the Lord comes. This is time for all believers ( jews and gentiles) to
call upon the name of the Lord and escapse these great judgements coming
on all the earth. The sad thing is 50% will not accept our testimony. For
one will be taken and one will be left. The tares will be bound in bundles
to be burned, the wheat to the barn.