THE OLIVET DISCOURSE. Matt. 24, 25

January 14, 2020

Key: SCHAFF: “When the Lord open his mouth, we should open our ears and hearts”

WHEN SHALL THESE THINGS BE? WHAT SHALL BE THE SIGNS OF THY COMING AND THE END OF THE WORLD? Matt. 24:3-13, Mk. 13:3-13, Lk. 21:7-19, 20-24…4

THE GREAT TRIBULATION. Matt. 24:21

The events of the great tribulation Matt. 24:21 will span through 3½ years. It is the beginning of the day of the Lord, when God will step in to the affairs of men in judgment and called the time of God’s vengeance or wrath of God.

  1. Rev. 8:1. “…there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.” Zeph 1:7; 2:13. After this short break it appears everything will move in full speed until the final judgment of the desolator( beast).
  2. Rev. 8:2. The seven angels stood before God and to them were given seven trumpets. Trumpets are used for war or a solemn assembly Num. 10:1-10, in this instance it is for war 1Cor. 14:8, Amos. 3:6, Ex. 19:16.  God is waiting for the thing described in 8:3-5 before taking action.
  3. Rev. 8:3-5 “And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer…”
  4. The censer is always mentioned with the High priest. Lev. 16:12, Heb. 9:4. Anyone who intrudes into the office always incur the wrath of God. Lev. 10:1, Num. 16:1-19, 2Chro. 26:19.
  5. This may be no one else than Christ in His high priestly work. Heb. 4:14-16; 6:20-7:28. We should remember that the word angel of the Lord has been used of Him severally in the scriptures. Gen. 16; 18, Judg. 6:11-25
  6. “…was given much incense that he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar…” Rev. 5:8, Lev. 16:13, Num. 16:46-47, Ps. 141:2, Lk. 1:10, Heb. 4:15-16; 10:19-22. This is God’s answer to the prayer of the saint for the avenging of the blood of the martyrs Rev. 6:10 upon the “earth dwellers”.
  7. Rev. 8:4-5. “And the angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth.” The effect of the prayers that has ascended into heaven are voices, and thundering, and lightning, and an earthquake.
  8. Rev. 8:7-13. The first four trumpets are directed toward the environment in which man lives. These are literal plagues affecting vegetation, sea, rivers, and planets as indicated by the angel. You can compare these with Ex. 7-10 when God plagued the government of Pharaoh before Israel was released. It continues.