THREE GREAT TRIBULATIONS – Part1 (Mathew 24 and Luke 21)

INTRODUCTION

Mathew 24 and Luke 21 tell a story of How Jesus stood at the Jewish temple and announced how that temple was going to be utterly destroyed. After that he then gives the order of events leading to his coming and to the end of the world. This line of events is very instrumental in understanding the order of all end time prophecies from Daniel to Revelation. As we follow Mathew 24 and Look 21, we shall also look into The abomination that makes desolate and the three great tribulations. Yes, there’s not one but three tribulations. Understanding this makes the question of pre-trib, mid-trib and post-trib irrelevant.

At first glance Luke 21 and Mathew 24 look like one sermon told from different angles. But those are two separate sermons addressed to two different audiences to answer two different sets of questions.

Both accounts start by recording that Jesus was at the temple and made a comment concerning the destruction of the temple. From this point on Mathew and Luke go different ways.

LUKE 21

Luke records what continues to happen while Jesus was still standing there at the temple. The believing crowd which was standing there ask him when these things would happen, and what sign that these things were about to take place. So Jesus answer was very specific to the destruction of the temple which occurred in 70AD.  However Jesus adds even more.

Jesus starts by listing four events that must happen in the future.

In verse twelve. He then says, Before all these things, meaning Before these four events have taken place.

Luke 21:7-12 NIV

7 “Teacher,” they asked, “when will these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take place?”

8 He replied: “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them. 9 When you hear of wars and uprisings, do not be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right away.” 10 Then he said to them: “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. 11 There will be great earthquakes, famines and pestilences in various places, and fearful events and great signs from heaven.

12 “But before all this…

Jesus lists four things that must happen and then says… before all this. If you have read my teaching on the Seven Seals, then you’ll know that these four things correspond to the first four seals.

1. Many come in Jesus name claiming to be significant. (Seal 1, Evangelistic movement with a rise of deceivers)
2. Wars and uprisings (Seal 2, World wars with a rise of Teaching Movement)
3. Eathquakes, famines  (Seal 3,  Physical and spiritual famine with rise of apostolic movement)
4. Fearful events (Seal 4, Death in the world and in the church with rise of prophetic movement)

So, let’s see what Jesus says must happen before these things.

Luke 21: 12-24 NIV

12 “But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. They will hand you over to synagogues and put you in prison, and you will be brought before kings and governors, and all on account of my name. 13 And so you will bear testimony to me.

14 But make up your mind not to worry beforehand how you will defend yourselves.15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 Everyone will hate you because of me. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish.19 Stand firm, and you will win life.

20 “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. 21 Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. 22 For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written.

23 How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. 24 They will fall by the sword and will be taken as prisoners to all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled on by the Gentiles until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.

So in summary, before the first four seals are removed, these are the things that must happen.

1. The apostles must stand before governors and Kings.

2. The apostles must be persecuted and killed.

3. Jerusalem is then surrounded by armies.

4. Jerusalem is destroyed and and the Jews taken into a long exile. 

Jesus then adds that Jerusalem will be trampled by the gentiles until the times of the gentiles are fulfilled. More will be explained about this in another teaching.  Since Jesus was standing among a crowd of Jews at the temple, he gives a narration of end times which focuses on the journey of Israel leading to his return to them. At this point Jesus goes straight to talk about how he would return to establish the kingdom of God in Israel after the times of the Gentiles are completed.

Luke 21:25-31 NIV

25 “There will be signs in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. 26 People will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. 27 At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. 28 When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

29 He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees.30 When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 31 Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near.

The return of the Lord in this particular chapter is specific to Israel. Note that Jesus does not talk of gathering the saints from the whole earth, he does not talk about people being taken from fields and grinding mills. He simply says to the Jews, that when they see these signs they must rejoice because their redemption will be near.

Luke then tells us that after teaching at the temple, Jesus went to the mountain of Olives at night to rest. This is where Luke21 ends.

Luke 21:37 (WEBM)

 Every day Yeshua was teaching in the temple, and every night he would go out and spend the night on the mountain that is called Olivet.

MATHEW 24

Mathew the picks up where Luke finishes off.

When Jesus was now at the mountain of Olives spending the night. Some of the apostles come in private, to ask further questions.

Matthew 24:3 (NET)

As he was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him privately and said, “Tell us, when will these things happen? And what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

From Mark 13, we are told that it was specifically James, John, Peter and Andrew who came to ask Jesus privately. These four apostles had already heard the teaching recorded in Luke 21, it’s a few hours later and they now ask further questions in private. They now want to know specifically the sign of his coming and of the end of the age. Jesus starts by listing those four events, as he had done in the afternoon. 

Mathew 24:4-8 MKJV

(4) And Jesus answered and said to them, Take heed that no man deceive you.  (5) For many will come in My name, saying, I am Christ, and will deceive many.  (6) And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not troubled, for all these things must occur; but the end is not yet.  (7) For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there will be famines and pestilences and earthquakes in different places.  (8) All these are the beginning of sorrows. 

He assures them that these four events are not the sign of the end, but only the beginning of the troubles.Instead of going backwards as he had done before. He instead continues to explain what happens after the four events. He speaks about the gospel being preached to the ends of the Earth and all that. Take note that Jesus is now focussing mainly on the church, since he is now speaking to his apostles only.

Mathew 24:8-14 MKJV

(8) All these are the beginning of sorrows.  (9) Then they will deliver you up to be afflicted and will kill you. And you will be hated of all nations for My name’s sake.  (10) And then many will be offended, and will betray one another, and will hate one another.  (11) And many false prophets will rise and deceive many.  (12) And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many will become cold.  (13) But he who endures to the end, the same shall be kept safe.  (14) And this gospel of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in all the world as a witness to all nations. And then the end shall come. 

Note this, Just as there was a persecution of the apostles of God before the first four events are unsealed, there will be another persecution of the church afterwards. This is the fifth seal. Luke 21 showed the persecution that occurred to the apostles in 66-70 AD, and Mathew 24 is showing another persecution that will happen after the first four seals are opened.

At the time of the fifth seal persecution, there will be many false prophets who will arise and yet the gospel will be proclaimed to all nations and then the end will come.  

After Jesus has finished narrating the journey of the church leading to the end of the church age, he then turns to tell the four apostles about Israel. 

Mathew 24:15-21 WEB

 (15) “When, therefore, you see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of through Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (let the reader understand),  (16) then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.  (17) Let him who is on the housetop not go down to take out things that are in his house.  (18) Let him who is in the field not return back to get his clothes.  (19) But woe to those who are with child and to nursing mothers in those days!  (20) Pray that your flight will not be in the winter, nor on a Sabbath,  (21) for then there will be great oppression, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, nor ever will be. 

He then mentions the abomination of desolation which specifically is written of in the book of Daniel. This is a specific reference. This Abomination will lead Israel into another time of persecution and exile. But this time, though they shall flee once more, we are not told that they will be scattered to the nations, No. They won’t be. They will only go to the mountains. During the days of the Jewish flight, there will come great oppression to Israel; the KJV calls it, ‘Great Tribulation.’ Lets pause and talk a bit about the abomination of desolation and this great tribulation.

To be continued in part 2