Builders of Faith Explorer II:  Exploring End-Time Prophecy

Lesson 8—Signposts along the Way



1.    What two events did Jesus’ disciples believe would happen at the same time?

“Then Jesus went out and departed from the temple, and His disciples came up to show Him the buildings of the temple.  And Jesus said to 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.’  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?’”  Matthew 24:1-3.

Answer:  The destruction of the Temple, and undoubtedly the entire city of Jerusalem, was so dramatic in the disciples’ eyes that they could not envision this event occurring until the end of the world at the return of Jesus.


2.    How did Jesus initially respond to His disciples, and what was its significance?

“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.  For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  And there will be famines, pestilences, and earthquakes in various places.  All these are the beginning of sorrows.’”  Matthew 24:4-8.

Answer:  We all know the truth that there have always been wars, famines, and natural disasters.  But Jesus specifically said these in themselves are not signs that the end is near, for “these are the beginning of sorrows.”  However, they do remind us that Jesus will eventually come to put an end to all this trouble.


3.    What other general conditions did Jesus describe?

“Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for My name’s sake.  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.”  Matthew 24:9-12.

Answer:  This passage describes the general spiritual climate through the ages, but again, such conditions do not spell the end of the world.


4.    How did Jesus undermine the popular doctrine of “once saved, always saved”?

“But he who endures to the end shall be saved.”  Matthew 24:13.

Answer:  This verse makes it clear that a decision long ago to become a follower of Jesus will not by itself save you through the trials and tribulations of general Christian life.  Endurance is a special kind of patience that sees beyond the troubles to the glories of Christ’s kingdom.  But that requires an ongoing relationship in order to successfully do that.  So it is obvious by Jesus’ words here that He does not approve of this modern, popular doctrine of “once saved, always saved”.


5.    By what sign did Jesus end His initial response to His disciples?

“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.”  Matthew 24:14.

Answer:  This is the only real sign of the end of the world that Jesus gives in His initial response to His disciples.  In our day of fabulous communications and transportation, this prophecy of Jesus is fast being fulfilled.


6.    To what event and prophecy did Jesus refer in Matthew 24:15?

“Therefore when you see the ‘abomination of desolation,’ spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place (whoever reads, let him understand), then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.”  Matthew 24:15-16.  “But when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is near.  Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains….”  Luke 21:20-21.  “And after sixty-two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for Himself; And the people of the prince who is to come Shall destroy the city [Jerusalem] and the sanctuary.  The end of it shall be with a flood, And till the end of the war desolations are determined….  And on the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, Even until the consummation, which is determined, Is poured out on the desolate.”  Daniel 9:26-27.

Answer:  The parallel passage in Luke 21 above makes clear that the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple is the subject of Jesus’ remarks in Matthew 24:15.  In Lesson #2 we saw that Daniel 9:26-27 is talking about the destruction of Jerusalem and its sanctuary.  Thus, Jesus is referring to part of Daniel’s 70 Weeks’ Prophecy in Daniel 9.  Many have attempted to interpret this passage as referencing the end-time tribulation, but the parallel passage in Luke 21 makes this impossible.  It’s easy to see how the Romans represented desolation.  But how do they also represent an abomination?  Both the Greek and Hebrew root words for abomination have connotations of idolatry.  The Romans carried standards rather than flags, and they worshiped their standards as representing different pagan gods.  In A.D. 70, many soldiers set their standards up in the courtyard of the Temple and sacrificed to their gods.  Therefore, the Roman armies were in fact an “abomination of desolation”.


7.    Does the “great tribulation” of Matthew 24:21 refer to the events surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem?

“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world, until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.”  Matthew 24:21-22.  “For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be.  And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.”  Mark 13:19-20.

Answer:  In the parallel of Luke 21, Jesus is quoted as continuing to stay explicitly with the trouble around Jerusalem and Judea and does not include the language that Matthew and Mark quotes.  Both Matthew and Mark state that those days of tribulation would be shortened in order to save the “elect”.  In Matthew 24:31 and Mark 13:27, in the same context, Jesus says He will save “His elect”.  Since He is speaking here to Christians, it is clear that Jesus means faithful Christians are the elect.  But there is a problem:  In the events surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem, Christians remembered Jesus’ words and left Jerusalem and surrounding Judea when the Roman armies inexplicably but temporarily withdrew.  Thus every Christian was saved at that time.  The tribulation was aimed at the Jewish nation, not Christians, and it was not shortened; certainly Jerusalem was utterly destroyed.  This is strong evidence that Jesus suddenly telescopes to a future tribulation at some point after the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.


8.    Does the “tribulation” refer to the great tribulation at the end-time?

“For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world, until this time, no, nor ever shall be.  And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake those days will be shortened.”  Matthew 24:21-22.  “At that time Michael shall stand up, The great prince who stands watch over the sons of your people; And there shall be a time of trouble, Such as never was since there was a nation, Even to that time.  And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book.”  Daniel 12:1.

Answer:  Both of these passages contain similar language about a time of trouble such as never was.  However, in Daniel 12:1, someone named Michael stands up and begins a time of trouble against the wicked forces depicted in Daniel 11:44-45, resulting in the deliverance of God’s people.  So the tribulation in Daniel 12 is sent by God against the end-time wicked forces—it is not a tribulation aimed at God’s faithful people.


9.    To what then does the “tribulation” in the gospels of Matthew and Mark point?

“…And at that time your people shall be delivered, Every one who is found written in the book.  And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake….”  Daniel 12:1-2.

Answer:  Daniel 12 definitely points to the end-time tribulation because of the reference to a resurrection.  All acknowledge that the final tribulation cannot last for a long time.  Therefore, Jesus’ reference to a time of trouble such as never was or shall be, must point to a time of trouble known for its great length of time.  We learned in Lesson #5 of a great tribulation that was to last for 1,260 years during the Middle Ages, from 538-1798.  Therefore, the tribulation in Matthew 24:21 and Mark 13:19 must refer to that particular time of trouble.  Thus, Jesus telescopes from the tribulation surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem to the tribulation of the Middle Ages, in which at least 50 million people were executed by the Roman Church for allegedly being heretics.


10.    Are the heavenly signs associated with the Second Coming of Jesus literal events or metaphors of God’s judgment?

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from heaven….”  Matthew 24:29.  “But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall….”  Mark 13:24-25.

Answer:  Many scholars believe that the heavenly signs spoken of in the gospels in association with the return of Jesus are merely metaphors of God’s general judgments.  They cite such signs in the Old Testament which really do appear to be symbolic of general judgments of God.  However, the immediate context in the gospels is the Second Coming of Jesus, which we have learned is a literal, visible, audible, and glorious event in the sky.  Therefore, the heavenly signs associated with that event, and which precede it, must also be literal events in the sky.


11.    How does Mark’s gospel relate the heavenly signs to the tribulation of the Middle Ages?

“But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars of heaven will fall….”  Mark 13:24-25.  “…behold, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became like blood.  And the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.  Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place.  And the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, every slave and every free man…said to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb!  For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’”  Revelation 6:12-17.

Answer:  Mark’s gospel makes it clear that the heavenly signs would at least begin “in those days”, but “after that tribulation”.  In other words, the persecution of God’s faithful saints will end before 1798, and the heavenly signs begin between the end of actual persecution and 1798.  The great similarity and other language in Revelation 6 above make it clearly a reference to the same heavenly signs and the Second Coming of Jesus.  But notice that Revelation 6 adds a “great earthquake” before the first of the actual heavenly signs.


12.    Must all of these signs occur before 1798 or just begin to occur before 1798?

Answer:  All of the parallel passages are mentioned as if they flow immediately into the Second Coming of Jesus.  But if they really did so, the Second Coming would have had to occur right at 1798 because Jesus cannot return before the end of the specific 538-1798 period.  That would also violate the truth that no one can predict the date for the Second Coming (see Matthew 24:42, 44).  Since that obviously did not happen, we must understand these signs as beginning before 1798 and others probably occurring after that year.  In other words, at least the great earthquake and the darkening of the sun should have occurred late in the 538-1798 period but before 1798.


13.    Have all these signs already happened, and can we identify them?

Answer:  Yes, they have, and yes, we can identify them.  Logically, each sign must meet four criteria:  (1) it must have been a very significant event in history; (2) it must have occurred in the same order as the Bible says it would; (3) it must occur in lands where most people were Christians and could discern it as a sign pointing toward the return of Jesus; and (4) it must have had a spiritual impact, probably both positive on God’s faithful people and negative on some others.  They do not have to be supernatural events though, because earthquakes are natural disasters.  God’s foreknowledge does not mean He caused any of these signs in a supernatural way (although we admit that He might have).  Here are the four great signs that fulfilled the prophecy in every way:

A.    Lisbon Earthquake—It occurred on November 1, 1755 and was called the Lisbon Earthquake because Lisbon, Portugal was near the epicenter of the quake.  Even though it was not the most devastating earthquake in history, it is still viewed as one of the most important ones.  Its effects were felt as far as 1,100 miles away.  Many devout Christians viewed this as a judgment warning from God to be ready for Jesus’ return.  Many religious skeptics scoffed at those who saw this as a warning judgment and thus were confirmed in their skepticism by this event.  In general, Europeans moved into a new period of pessimism.

B.    Dark Day—This event occurred on May 19, 1780 and was a very unusual thick darkness covering an area of about 25,000 square miles in parts of New York, New Jersey, and most of New England in the English colonies.  Farm animals behaved as if nightfall had arrived, and people could not see well enough to continue their daily routines.  Many went to their churches as thoughts of judgment day were on the minds of large numbers of people.

C.    Moon turned Blood Red—This occurred on the night of May 19, 1780, following the Dark Day.  At first the moon could not be seen at all, despite the fact that it had become a full moon the day before.  Then after midnight, the moon appeared, but it was unusually blood red in color until sunrise.  More remarkable is the fact that the Greek text of Revelation 6:12 actually reads, “the whole moon”, which fits the fact that the moon had become full just the previous evening.  It seemed to reinforce the spiritual significance of the Dark Day earlier in the same day.

D.    Falling of the Stars—This event occurred between midnight and dawn in the early morning hours of November 13, 1833.  It was one of the most spectacular meteor showers ever witnessed, and it covered most parts of North America.  It was so bright at times that people were awakened from their sleep.  In harmony with Revelation 6:13, this meteor shower gave the optical illusion that “stars” were falling in whatever direction a person was standing—just like a fig tree dropping its figs when shaken by a great wind.  It was so significant that it gave birth to our modern scientific study of meteor showers.  The religious impact was very significant, as many believers viewed this as the fulfillment of the gospels and Revelation 6:13, as a sign of Jesus’ soon return.


14.    What is meant by the statement that “the powers of the heavens will be shaken”?

“…and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”  Matthew 24:29.  “…and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.”  Mark 13:25.  “…for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.”  Luke 21:26.  “…as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.  Then the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up, and every mountain and island was moved out of its place….  For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?”  Revelation 6:13-17.

Answer:  The four parallel statements are especially clarified by Revelation 6.  This shaking of the heavens is so tumultuous that every mountain and island is moved!  Revelation 6 directly ties this with the actual Second Coming of Jesus itself—obviously an event that has not yet happened.


15.    Do the parallels in the gospels agree with Revelation 6 that the Second Coming of Jesus immediately follows the shaking of the powers of the heavens?

“…and the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven,…and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”  Matthew 24:29-30.  “…and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds with great power and glory.”  Mark 13:25-26.  “…for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.  Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”  Luke 21:26-27.

Answer:  Yes, they do.  The final physical tumultuous events on earth will usher in the Second Coming of Jesus in power and great glory!  Amen!


16.    Where are we along the signposts to the Second Coming, and what wise counsel did Jesus give us until that Day?

“Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.”  Matthew 24:42.  “Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”  Matthew 24:44.

Answer:  We are living in the days between the falling of the stars and the Second Coming of Jesus, ushered in by vast tumultuous events on earth.  Skeptics scoff that it has been this long since the falling of the stars in 1833 and the beginning of the Pre-Advent Judgment in heaven in 1844 (see Lesson #6).  But God reckons time differently from how we do.  Moreover, He is “…not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9).  All will not be saved, of course, but in the meantime God is showing His patience in order to save more.  How long He will continue to wait no one knows.  But faithful believers will watch and be ready!

 



Quiz for Lesson 8—Signposts along the Way
 

 

1.  Identify the kinds of things Jesus initially said in His answer to His disciples’ questions about the destruction of the Temple and the end of the world? (6)

  Wars

  Rumors of wars

  Famines

  Pestilences

  Signs in the heavens

  False prophets

  Spiritual lawlessness

Answer

Wars
Rumors of wars
Famines
Pestilences
False prophets
Spiritual lawlessness

 

2.  The only real sign that Jesus gave of the end of the world to His disciples as part of His initial response was that the gospel would preached to the whole world. (1)

  True

  False

Answer

True

 

3.  Which of the following statements about the “abomination of desolation” in Matthew 24 are true? (2)

  Jesus borrowed the term from Daniel 7.

  The word abomination especially has to do with idolatry.

  The desolation here would be represented by Roman armies surrounding Jerusalem.

Answer

The word abomination especially has to do with idolatry.
The desolation here would be represented by Roman armies surrounding Jerusalem.

 

4.  Which of the following statements about the “great tribulation” in Matthew 24:21 are true? (3)

  Jesus was talking about the tribulation involved with the destruction of Jerusalem.

  The tribulation at the destruction of Jerusalem was aimed at the Jewish nation, not Christians themselves.

  The days of this “great tribulation” in Matthew would be shortened in order to save the elect.

  The elect belonged to Jesus, so they were Christians.

Answer

The tribulation at the destruction of Jerusalem was aimed at the Jewish nation, not Christians themselves.
The days of this “great tribulation” in Matthew would be shortened in order to save the elect.
The elect belonged to Jesus, so they were Christians.

 

5.  To which of the following items does the “tribulation” in Matthew 24 apply? (1)

  The tribulation involving the destruction of Jerusalem

  The tribulation of the Middle Ages that would last 1,260 years

  The final tribulation at the end-time

Answer

The tribulation of the Middle Ages that would last 1,260 years

 

6.  Are the heavenly signs associated with the Second Coming literal events or metaphors of God’s judgment against the wicked? (1)

  They are metaphors for God’s judgment borrowed from the Old Testament.

  They are literal events because Jesus never spoke in metaphors.

  They are literal events because they are associated with the literal event of the Second Coming.

  They are metaphors because Jesus later told the disciples they were metaphors.

Answer

They are literal events because they are associated with the literal event of the Second Coming.

 

7.  When would at least the first heavenly sign have to occur, and what earthly sign does Revelation add at the beginning of these heavenly signs? (2)

  Before 1844—Revelation adds a great earthquake.

  After 1798—Revelation adds a gigantic storm of great hail.

  Before 1798—Revelation adds a great earthquake.

  Before the end of the 1,260 years—Revelation adds a great earthquake.

Answer

Before 1798—Revelation adds a great earthquake.
Before the end of the 1,260 years—Revelation adds a great earthquake.

 

8.  Which of the following signs are matched with the correct year? (2)

  Moon turned Red Blood—1780

  Falling of the Stars—1844

  Lisbon Earthquake—1755

  Dark Day—1798

Answer

Moon turned Red Blood—1780
Lisbon Earthquake—1755

 

9.  The actual Second Coming of Jesus immediately follows “the powers of the heavens [being] shaken”.  (1)

  True

  False

Answer

True

 

10.  What 2 things in Matthew 24 did Jesus counsel His people to do in preparation for His return? (2)

  Watch

  Be patient

  Be ready

Answer

Watch
Be ready