David,
My reply:
Starting at the beginning of Mathew 24, we notice
that Jesus is talking specifically to his desciples:
Matthew 24:3.......... And as he sat upon the
mount of Olives, the desciples came unto him privately,
saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what
shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end
of the world?
1. The first thing to notice is that Jesus
was talking Directly to the (DESCIPLES)! This is
information that is shared with them ONLY! So Jesus is
telling his true followers the facts and making it clear
that they are chosen to understand what he is saying. He
goes into great detail about it, in fact, it takes 2
chapters, 24 & 25 to cover this one question?
They want to know WHEN will the temple be
destroyed (verse 1), and WHAT shall be the sign of
thy coming, and the end of the world?
Jesus goes into a general detail of the things that
will happen and the way things will be as a general
warning of the times, in their future, that will play
out. But for the most part, he is zeroing in on the last 7
years, the generation that will be alive at that time:
Matthew 24:34....... Verily I say
unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these
things be fulfilled.
So this chapter must be directed at the generation that
is alive in the last 7 years. Notice now that Jesus tells
us WHEN:
Matthew 24:15....... 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:)
WHEN you see the abomination of desolation, spoken
of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place:
(This will be the entity that is set up in the temple
by the antichrist and cause all to take the mark of the
beast or be killed)
Matthew 24:16......... Then let them
which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
17......... Let him which is on the housetop not
come down to take anything 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!
Notice that when you see the abomination of desolation,
Jesus says to let them in Judaea FLEE! Also notice that
they are not to dilly-dally around and take their time!
Don't come down to even take anything out of your house!
Don't go back to get your clothes, and woe to those women
that are pregnant and nursing at that time! This is a
warning, as soon as you see this abomination of desolation
set up, FLEE and don't bother to take anything with you
because there will be no time! This indicates that the
mark of the beast has been implemented and the killing
will begin of ALL who refuse to take the mark as stated
in:
Revelations 13:15........... And he had power to
give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of
the beast should both speak, and cause as many as would
not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
Matthew 24:21......... 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.
Notice that there shall be great tribulation so bad it
will never happen again, and that those days are shortened
for the elect's sake or else no flesh would be saved
alive. So, the Judaeans are told to FLEE in a hurry, and
pack nothing for there is no time to waste, that it will
be great tribulation as never before or will be again,
that no flesh would be saved if it were not for the fact
that the elect were in jeopardy. Because of this those
days will be shortened..............FOR THE ELECT'S SAKE!
Notice that! I believe that is because they will be taken
out of here at the wheat harvest! THIS IS THE CHURCH OF
GOD! Go to:
Revelations 14:9......... And the third angel
followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man
worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in
his forehead, or in his hand,
10............ The same shall drink of the wine
of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture
into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented
with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy
angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:
11............ And the smoke of their torment
ascendeth up for ever and ever, and they have no rest day
nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and
whosoever receiveth the mark of his name.
If you take the mark of the beast, you will drink of
the wine of the wrath of God and be tormented with fire
and brimstone.
12............ Here
is the patience of the saints: here are they
that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
For the elect's
sake,The church (the saints), those days are shortened
when they are caught away by the wheat harvest (the
rapture):
Matthew 24:27..........
For as the
lightening cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto
the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
13............
And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed
are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth:
Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their
labours, and their works do follow them.
These people
represent the foolish virgins that miss the dance.
Although they have to die to prove their faith for the
Lord, they appear to be spoken about in:
Revelations
15:2......... And I saw as it were a sea of glass
mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory
over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and
over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass,
having the harps of God.
The worst time
during the great tribulation is the murder of all who
refuse to take the mark of the beast! Right before the
wheat harvest, those that do not get taken will be blessed
if they die in the Lord from this point on!
Continueing at:
Revelations
14:14............ And I looked and behold a
white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like
unto the Son of man, having on his head a golden
crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle.
15............
And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a
loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy
sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap;
for the harvest of the earth is ripe.
16............
And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the
earth; and the earth was reaped.
This is the
(RAPTURE)!
Notice that RIGHT
AFTER THAT:
Revelations
17:17........... And another angel came out of the
temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle.
18..............
And another angel came out from the altar, which had power
over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the
sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and
gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her
grapes are fully ripe.
19..............
And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and
gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great
winepress of the wrath of God.
These are the
ones in verse 13 that says...... Blessed are the dead
which die in the Lord from henceforth:..........
They missed the
wheat harvest, thus they had to face the day of
temptation, the mark of the beast implementation. It has
to happen RIGHT AFTER the rapture. So those who save their
life by taking the mark of the beast will lose their
eternal salvation, and those who lose their life for their
faith in Jesus, will save their eternal salvation. The
next chapter and verse 2 tells about them:
Revelations
15:2........... And I saw as it were a sea of glass
mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory
over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and
over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass,
having the harps of God.
These
people undoubtedly suffered severe
persecution and execution, but managed to hang on till
death, thus, they were overcomers. So these TOO miss the
WRATH OF GOD that is now going to be poured out in chapter
16. From here on out, there is NO ESCAPING the punishment.
It is obvious at this point in time the only people left
on the earth are totally EVIL and refuse over and over to
repent, as stated in:
Revelations
16:9............ And men were scorched with great
heat, and blasphemed the name of God, which hath power
over these plagues: and they repented not to give him
glory.
11...........
And blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains
and their sores, and repented not of their deeds.
YBIC
Mike P