Today, Tuesday April 12
The Sign of His Coming Matthew 24:3-6
“Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?" And Jesus answered and said to them: "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many. And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.”
Today before we finish talking about the first six seals that are open by the Lamb, Jesus Christ, in Revelation 6 we want to notice the parallels that exist between Christ's prophetic words recorded in Matthew 24 and what John wrote in Revelation 6.
Shortly before Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem, He was meeting with His disciples on the Mount of Olives that overlooks the Holy Mount and the beautiful temple that Herod had built for the Jews. The disciples were pointing out how beautiful the temple was when Jesus told them: "Do you not see all these things? Assuredly, I say to you, not one stone shall be left here upon another, that shall not be thrown down." (Matthew 24:2) The disciples then ask Him what would be the sign of His coming and of the end of the age. Jesus answers them with His prophetic message of the end-time events. It is amazing how these signs match up with what happens when the first six seals are opened in Revelation 6.
Revelation 6:1-2: The first seal- the white horse: Antichrist comes deceiving the world with the promise of peace. Matthew 24:4-5: "Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, 'I am the Christ,' and will deceive many.”
Revelation 6:3-4: The second seal- the red horse: Antichrist breaks his peace treaty with Israel and war breaks out. Matthew 24:6: “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled; for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.”
Revelation 6:5-6: The third seal- the black horse: Famines follow the wars. Matthew 24:7a: “… And there will be famines…”
Revelation 6:7-8: The fourth seal- the pale horse: Death follows the famines. Matthew 24:7b-8: “…pestilences, and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of sorrows.”
Revelation 6:9-11: The fifth seal- the souls of the martyrs under the altar. Matthew 24:9: “Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name's sake.”
Revelation 6:12-17: The sixth seal- worldwide chaos. Matthew 24:10-13: “And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another. Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”
Jesus then said in Matthew 24:14, “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” I believe this is where Revelation 7 fits in. In chapter 7 we read about the 144,000 Jews who are sealed and will preach the Gospel to all the nations. They are most likely saved as a result of the preaching of the two witnesses we meet in Revelation 11. Remember “the end” is when Jesus comes back to the earth to set up His kingdom after the Seven-year Tribulation.
It appears that the current events in our world are setting up everything for these end-time events! Jesus is coming for His church very soon!
God bless!
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