The Day of the Lord

The Question of all Questions

“And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples 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?”

(Matthew 24:3 KJV)

The question that Jesus Christ’s disciples asked Him as it is recorded in this passage of scripture has to be the Question of all Questions. As Jesus began to sum up His earthly ministry, He was desiring to fulfill our answers today through the answers that He gave to His disciples then.

Many people are curious and are asking this same question today. They have been asking this question for some 2,000 years. “What will be the sign of thy coming and of the end of the world?”

I believe that we are on the threshold of the greatest event ever to take place before human eyes. I believe we are living in the last days. I believe that we are living in the time that shall usher in the return of Jesus Christ to this world. I believe that we shall see Him, Who was once the Sacrificial Lamb led to the slaughter, return as He Who is the Lion of the tribe of Judah which will rule and reign forever more.

The question just had to be asked. It was probably something that the disciples were just aching inside to know. There is an aching inside of us today. We want to know the truth. We want the answer to life’s puzzling questions. I am telling you today that Jesus Christ is the Truth. He is the Answer that we are truly seeking for in our lives.

Many are turning to the New Age and to astrology, but Jesus said of Himself, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6 KJV) Will you believe in Him today? Put your trust in Him. He will guide you into all truth.

Who better to ask such a question as this to but the Lord Jesus? We know that what He says in the scriptures here is not a lie, but the truth. Truth answered only in truth.

The Lord began to explain the truth here in Matthew 24 about signs that would accompany His return and the end of the world. Signs are given for two reasons: (1) to be seen, and (2) to be believed.

We will look into the many signs that are foretelling the end as we are living it today. If we will have an open heart and let the Lord teach us, then we will be able to discern the times in which we live, and we will be prepared at His coming.

In the following pages, we will delve deeply into many scriptures which prophesy and predict the last days. It is my prayer that the Holy Spirit will teach you as you continue to study the truth that is in His Word.

Daniel’s Seventieth Week

“Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy.”

(Daniel 9:24 KJV)

Much has been written over the years concerning Daniel’s prophecy of the time which has been termed as the “Tribulation” period, henceforth, many are aware of its basic principles. This portion of our study is not to belabor this prophecy and ride it to death, but to lay a foundation of the understanding of its meaning.

We have a need at the beginning to understand the fact that the Jewish calendar year at the time of Daniel’s prophecy (as well as the Sacred Jewish calendar of today) consists of a 360 day year, whereas the Gregorian calendar, on which the rest of the world operates, is a 365 ¹/₄ day year. This is important in understanding the particular prophecies which foretell events which shall occur on a specified number of days.

The original Hebrew word for “weeks” in Daniel 9:24 is “shabuwa," which is literal for “sevened”. The translation is literally, “Seventy sevened is determined upon thy people...”. Seventy sevened is 490 (70 x 7). The word “shabuwa” also implies of “weeks” specific of “years”. Once again, the translation is specifically, “Seventy sevened (in terms of years) is determined upon thy people...” So then, the time period consists of 490 years.

This 490 year period is given by God for some very specific reasons. It was given to Israel to make an end of transgression and sin, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.

These commandments were fulfilled and sealed up by only One: the Lord Jesus Christ. He alone was able to end the devastation of sin upon mankind. He alone made reconciliation for sin by shedding His own blood as II Corinthians 5:18 states, “And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ...” Only Christ could bring in the kingdom of everlasting righteousness. Only He sums up the vision and prophecy. He alone is found worthy to be anointed by God the Father as the Most Holy One of Israel and as the Redeemer of all mankind.

“Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.”

(Daniel 9:25 KJV)

We can find the commandment to rebuild Jerusalem in the book of Nehemiah 2:8, as well as the full intentions to rebuild in Nehemiah 2:17-18. This commandment was given to Nehemiah by King Artexerxes.

Once again, “weeks”, indicating years of sevens, is used in this set of scriptures to pinpoint the time of Christ to fulfill all things. Seven “sevened” (7 x 7) added to threescore “sevened” (60 x 7) plus two “sevened” (2 x 7) produces a total of 483 years.

7 x 7 = 49

60 x 7 = 420

2 x 7 = 14

years = 483

In the light of history, we find, once again, that the Word of God is infallible. Nehemiah received permission to rebuild the city of Jerusalem by the King of Persia somewhere between 445 BC and 457 BC The 483 year period would extend the time of the Messiah between 26 AD and 38 AD

In Luke 2:1-7, scripture states:

“And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.”

(Luke 2:1-7 KJV)

This account gives us a more narrow time frame regarding Christ’s birth. He was born during the taxation (or census) of Caesar Augustus at the time when Cyrenius was made governor over Syria. Historically, Cyrenius became the governor of Syria in 4 or 5 BC. Christ’s actual birth did not occur between 1 BC and 1 AD as many presume.

Luke 3:23 states that Christ was about thirty years of age when His ministry began at His baptism in the Jordan River. The time frame as recorded in the Bible gives us an account of approximately 3¹/₂ years from Jesus’ baptism in Jordan until His crucifixion. If born in 4 or 5 BC, the possible date of His sacrifice was between 29 AD to 31 AD, which meets the parameters of the prophecy of Daniel.

“And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined.”

(Daniel 9:26 KJV)

Daniel 9:25 separates the two sections of time which concern the time of the Messiah, “seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks”. Verse 26 then states that after the second section of time of “threescore and two weeks”, then shall Messiah be cut off. So the total number of years from the rebuilding of Jerusalem until the year when Christ is “cut off” is 483 years.

7 x 7 = 49

60 x 7 = 420

2 x 7 = 14

years = 483

Exactly 483 years after the decree was given by King Artexerxes for Nehemiah and the Israelis to rebuild Jerusalem, Jesus was crucified: not for himself, but for the sins of all mankind.

When this event occurs, the 490 year period for Israel to end her sins comes to a standstill. When Messiah was cut off (after the 483 year era), the last seven year period was put on hold to be dealt with at a later time. The next few verses begin to describe what will occur during that last seven year period.

“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.”

(Daniel 9:27 KJV)

We have in this verse an understanding of what the Antichrist which is to come shall be and what he shall do. He shall make a covenant with Israel and her enemies, the Arab nations for one week (the seven year period). Quite possibly, this covenant will entail also the nations of the world. This shall be a pact of peace. Somewhere in this agreement, Israel will once again have the opportunity to offer sacrifices unto the Lord. For this to be done, of course, the temple will have to be rebuilt in the last days.

Even now, the descendants of Aaron are preparing for the priesthood in Israel. They are learning the different forms of worship. They are learning in school about the ceremonial cleansing of people, animals, and items used in God’s holy service.

In the middle of this final week which will conclude the 490 year total period for God’s people to end their transgressions, the Antichrist will desecrate the temple of Jehovah, and set up an image of himself up in the temple to be worshipped as God. This is known throughout the Bible as the “abomination of desolation”.

This final seven year period is known by many names: “Daniel’s Seventieth Week”, “The Time of Jacob’s Trouble”, and even “the Tribulation”. However, the term “tribulation” is never allocated to this seven year period throughout the Bible.

Jesus did speak of a period, though, known as the “Great Tribulation”. Considering scripture truth, we may be able to pinpoint the time of the “great tribulation” as it is presented within the last day sequence of eschatology.

Daniel’s Seventieth Week

The Final Seven Year Period

“Like a Thief in the Night...”

“And this know, that if the goodman of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched, and not have suffered his house to be broken through. Be ye therefore ready also: for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not.”

(Luke 12:39-40 KJV)

We’ve heard it preached all of our lives: “Jesus will come as a thief in the night.” Preachers have stood and told multitudes of congregations that the coming of the Lord will be as a thief in the night. Well said! Many scriptures depict the coming of Christ as a thief in the night.

Many a thief have caught men unawares in the middle of the night. But, what if you knew when a thief was coming. If you knew he was coming at 3:15 a.m., you would be up with your flashlight and baseball bat at 3:00 a.m. psyching yourself up to get him when he came through the window. You would be watching and waiting for him to come. If this were the case, then you would not be taken by surprise.

Jesus said in Luke 12:39-40 that if a man were watching for the thief, then he would not suffer his house to be broken into. He then goes on to say that He himself would come “an hour when ye think not." He tells us that we should be prepared for His coming. Will Christ’s return catch true Christians unawares? The Bible answers this question for us.

“Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.”

(Revelation 16:15 KJV)

Jesus says plainly here that He is the One that shall come as a thief in the night. Notice what He says though about those who watch for is return. He calls them blessed! If you are one of the ones that are watching for His return then you are and shall be blessed, because when He comes, you will not be caught naked and ashamed. Those who couldn’t care less about His return, though, will be ashamed because of their nakedness.

“Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.”

(Revelation 3:3 KJV)

Here in Revelation, Jesus gives a warning to the Church that if they do not watch, He shall come upon them as a thief. He warns that if they “shalt not watch, then they shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.” But, what happens to those who are watching? If those who do not watch for His return shall be taken unexpectedly as by a thief in the night, then what shall it be for those who shall be watching?

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”

(2 Peter 3:10 KJV)

The day of the Lord shall come as a thief in the night according to the Apostle Peter. Peter describes significant occurrences which will happen on the day of the Lord.

The day of the Lord is quite possibly the most misunderstood prophecy contained in Bible scriptures. The reference on the previous page by Peter is no mistake: the coming return of Christ is the same thing as the day of the Lord. Many believe that the day of the Lord begins the final seven year period known as the “tribulation”. But, is this what the Bible states? We will begin to investigate the “day of the Lord” in the next following chapters, as well as, significant happenings in and around the “day of the Lord”.

The early church had its concepts about Christ coming back on the earth as a thief, and it had concepts regarding the day of the Lord. Paul begins to shed some light on this subject as it enfolds both topics.

The Day of the Lord

“But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ...”

(1 Thessalonians 5:1-9 KJV)

We understand, of course, that the Apostle Paul here is writing not to the heathen and unbelievers, but to the church which assembles at Thessalonica. He states in the very first sentence that the brethren have no need for Paul to write to them concerning “the times and seasons”. The church today, however, needs Paul to come back physically on this earth and steer us straight on the “times and seasons”.

Again, Paul states, as many others have, that the “day of the Lord” will come as a thief in the night. By His own words, Christ has already established that He will come as a thief in the night. The day of the Lord will be when Christ physically sets foot on the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem (scripture reference to follow later).

Paul begins to explain himself: “For when they shall say peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”

Who are “they”? If I were talking to you and said, “They drove off the cliff”, you would realize that I were talking about a different group of people which did not include you. Paul said, “they shall not escape”. He is, of course, referring to unbelievers.

But, then he goes on to write to the church: “But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.” So, here, Paul puts it into perspective. The day of the Lord will come as a thief upon the unbelievers, those who are not watching or waiting for Christ’s return. The brethren, though, because they are not in darkness, shall not be overtaken by the day of the Lord. The day of the Lord will come as a thief upon the heathen and the wicked.

So, when a Christian says that the “day of the Lord”, or Christ, will come as a thief in the night upon the church, he is misrepresenting the scriptures. Paul said that that day will not come unexpectedly upon the “brethren” as a thief in the night. On the contrary, he states that we shall not be overtaken at all on that day.

The fact is, the day of the Lord is coming. It is coming whether we want it to or not. Paul writes as though the “brethren” will be around to recognize that day when it does come. The unknowing will be caught up in the events that surround them, and they will be engulfed in fear. The church, on the other hand, should rejoice to see this day come. What will be a day of vengeance on one, will be a day of glory for another.

Now, let us begin to delve into the prophetic meaning itself in these scriptures. When the heathen shall say, “Peace and safety”, then suddenly, almost without warning, destruction shall come upon them and they shall not escape.

You will recall in the prophecy of Daniel that the “prince that shall come” will “confirm the covenant with many for one week (7 years)”. At this time, the leaders of this world will begin to say “Peace and safety” because of the peace agreement which is made.

But then, sudden destruction shall come upon them. In the middle of the 7 year period, the Antichrist will change his agenda. He will desecrate the temple of God and will spread violence and destruction throughout the world. He will require worship of himself. He will be like King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in the time of Daniel the prophet: “Bow to my image or burn in the fire.”

Just what will the day of the Lord consist of? We must look at the Old Testament prophets to better understand this time.

“Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low...”

(Isaiah 2:10-12 KJV)

“And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. And the idols he shall utterly abolish. And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.”

(Isaiah 2:17-21 KJV)

If ever there were a time in history when man's pride and haughtiness were exalted above the knowledge of God, that time is now. Many people have been caught up in the New Age lie that man is god... that we are all gods within ourselves, and that we need only to allow our godhood to express itself through us. Man's pride exalts himself above the Creator of the Universe. Many people declare that that same power to create is within us all. Yet, these same people can't even manage and control their family, their finances, or their appetites for worldly pleasures. They contend that since we are all gods, that there is no "right from wrong". This reasoning leads to the conclusion that since there are no limitations and boundaries, that all things are lawful for us to do them. This reasoning states that there are neither good nor bad consequences to face up to in the end. Rest assured that we shall all give an account to God in the end for our actions, thoughts, and words.

When the day of the Lord comes, the Lord will arise to “shake terribly the earth.” There may be a gentle shaking that is going on now, but when the Lord stands up, he is going to mean serious business. He will shake the heavens and the earth so that those things which can be shaken will be removed and those things which cannot be shaken shall remain (Hebrews 12:26-27).

“Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty. Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man's heart shall melt: And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames. Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine. And I will punish the world for their evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; and I will cause the arrogancy of the proud to cease, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. I will make a man more precious than fine gold; even a man than the golden wedge of Ophir. Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger. And it shall be as the chased roe, and as a sheep that no man taketh up: they shall every man turn to his own people, and flee every one into his own land. Every one that is found shall be thrust through; and every one that is joined unto them shall fall by the sword. And Babylon, the glory of kingdoms, the beauty of the Chaldees' excellency, shall be as when God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah.”

(Isaiah 13:6-15, 19 KJV)

Isaiah depicts the day of the Lord as coming as a destruction from the Almighty. The word “destruction” is equated to the day of the Lord in many scriptures. We have witnessed many horrible disasters in our time. The atrocities of the Antichrist will appall us. But when God stands up to send destruction to this earth, it will be awesome.

Isaiah goes on to describe this day as “cruel both with wrath and fierce anger”. Notice that the day of the Lord will be the day of His wrath. Remember Paul’s words to the Thessalonians: “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ.” Here is reason to rejoice! If we have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, then we shall not face God’s wrath. But, we shall watch it come upon the heathen and unbelievers of this world.

All sorts of things begin to happen as the Lord begins to pour out his wrath upon this world. The land will be laid desolate, and the wicked and sinner will be destroyed out of the land. Cosmic upheaval will terrorize the hearts of men as the whole cosmos is thrown into disarray by the hand of God.

Isaiah describes this day twice as being the wrath of the Lord and the time of his fierce anger. God’s wrath only comes upon those who are disobedient to His will and to His Word. The Lord will hold His anger back until this appointed time. Then, it will ignite like a match thrown into an ocean of gasoline.

“For this is the day of the Lord GOD of hosts, a day of vengeance, that he may avenge him of his adversaries: and the sword shall devour, and it shall be satiate and made drunk with their blood: for the Lord GOD of hosts hath a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates.”

(Jeremiah 46:10 KJV)

Here, Jeremiah gets a shot at the day of the Lord. The Lord speaks through Jeremiah and says that this day will be a day of vengeance. He will avenge himself upon His enemies. Who would like to be an enemy of God? This vengeance will bring much bloodshed according to this scripture.

The Old Testament prophet Joel had great clarity in insight concerning the day of the Lord. The next several scripture passages deal with the day of the Lord and its surrounding events.

“Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD. Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come.”

(Joel 1:14-15 KJV)

Once again, scripture describes the day of the Lord as a day of destruction.

“Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains: a great people and a strong; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be any more after it, even to the years of many generations.”

(Joel 2:1-2 KJV)

In this passage, the trumpet is called upon to blow in Zion. The trumpet was blown for three specific occasions in the lives of the Israelites: 1) to call an assembly, 2) to sound forth in battle, and 3) to announce the Year of Jubilee as described in Leviticus 25:9.

Next, Joel enters a new description as well: a day of darkness, gloominess, clouds, and thick darkness. It will be a day unlike any other in the history or future of mankind.

“The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it?”

(Joel 2:10-11 KJV)

Joel’s descriptions of the day of the Lord become simpler and simpler to understand. Cosmic upheaval shall appear. The day of the Lord is great and very terrible.

We will look more intensely at the prophecies of Joel later. The intention here is to lay the ground work of a foundation on which we can build a study of the end-times.

“Woe unto you that desire the day of the LORD! to what end is it for you? the day of the LORD is darkness, and not light. As if a man did flee from a lion, and a bear met him; or went into the house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Shall not the day of the LORD be darkness, and not light? even very dark, and no brightness in it?”

(Amos 5:18-20 KJV)

For the Lord to have spoken so much on one topic to so many different people is truly quite amazing. So why do we here so little on this subject which seems to be important to our Lord.

Amos also gets a crack at the prophecy of the day of the Lord. He describes the danger of earth’s inhabitants during this dreadful day. Wherever they turn, there will be destruction and calamity. They truly will not escape the wrath of God.

“For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.”

(Obadiah 1:15 KJV)

Even Obadiah, above, is allowed to help establish the fact that the day of the Lord is drawing nigh. It is even “near upon the heathen.”

“Hold thy peace at the presence of the Lord GOD: for the day of the LORD is at hand: for the LORD hath prepared a sacrifice, he hath bid his guests. And it shall come to pass in the day of the LORD'S sacrifice, that I will punish the princes, and the king's children, and all such as are clothed with strange apparel.”

(Zephaniah 1:7-8 KJV)

When the day of the Lord comes, it will be a day of sacrifice. The sacrifice shall be the unbelievers of this world. Jesus said, “For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together” (Matthew 24:28).

“The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high towers. And I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung. Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.”

(Zephaniah 1:14-18 KJV)

Zephaniah is “handed the ball”, so to speak, and gives an account of the day of the Lord which agrees with the other scriptures. He states plainly that it is the day of wrath. There shall be trouble and distress, wasteness and desolation, darkness and gloominess, and, clouds and thick darkness. There is also the mention here of men being devoured by the “fire of His jealousy.”

“Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee. For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city. Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.”

(Zechariah 14:1-4 KJV)

Zechariah states that when the day of the Lord comes, all nations will be gathered together against Israel to battle. The Lord will then fight against those nations.

What happens next is the most awaited for event in the history of the Christian church. Zechariah declares that in that day, the Lord’s feet will physically touch the ground as He stands on the Mount of Olives.

The following sections describe the events which surround the day of the Lord which will usher in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Remember the disciples’ questions about the signs of the coming of the end of the age? The next few chapters begin to link these incredible answers together. You will begin to see clearly the pattern in which all that has been discussed so far converge into its full meaning.

Travail as a Woman in Birth

“For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.”

(1 Thessalonians 5:2-3 KJV)

Many references surround the day of the Lord. One of the most unusual is the reference to “travailing” as a woman in child birth. This simple reference, though, begins to unfold the chronology of the last days.

According to the above scripture, after the time when men shall proclaim ‘peace and safety’, then sudden destruction will come. When that destruction comes, mankind will be as a woman that travails in birth.

Suddenly, without warning, the labor pains will start. Men shall see their own cruel destiny laid out before them. As the labor intensifies, the pressure shall increase upon the world.

(Isaiah 13:6-8 KJV)

Notice what Isaiah sees in his vision: “pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them”. Both words, ‘pangs’ and ‘sorrows’, in the original Hebrew script for this passage of scripture, means “a throe (esp. of parturition)”. So Isaiah speaks of the throes of labor, and then specifically declares that they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth. Remember, all of these words are explaining what shall take place on the day of the Lord.

“Ask ye now, and see whether a man doth travail with child? wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? Alas! for that day is great, so that none is like it: it is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.”

(Jeremiah 30:6-7 KJV)

Jeremiah also describes the day of the Lord (called here the “time of Jacob’s trouble”) as a time when men shall travail as a woman giving birth. He states that every face shall be turned into paleness.

“All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

(Matthew 24:8 KJV)

Jesus helps establish the time sequence of the events of the final hour of man’s plight. Later, we will look at Matthew 24 as a whole, but let us continue to establish the groundwork for the information regarding the day of the Lord.

Hide in the Rocks

(Isaiah 2:10-11 KJV)

“And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats; To go into the clefts of the rocks, and into the tops of the ragged rocks, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.”

(Isaiah 2:19-21 KJV)

Another minor reference to the day of the Lord is located here in Isaiah. When the Lord comes, mankind will be engulfed in fear. They will realize that the wrath of God is being poured out upon them. His awesome glory will appear to man in the final days of earth.

In their frightened state, men will flee to the mountains and rocks to hide from God’s face. We know that God’s eyes peer everywhere; they will not escape the judgment of the Lord. Literally, no stone will be left unturned.

“And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb...”

(Revelation 6:15-16 KJV)

John also gives account of this in Revelation. In his vision, the beloved apostle sees the second advent of Christ.

The haughtiness and proud look of all mankind will be brought low on that day. Whether rich and famous, or poor and disregarded, man must give account of himself before the eyes of the Lamb.

The Trumpet will Sound

“Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand...”

(Joel 2:1 KJV)

The reference of the trumpet sounding on the day of the Lord appears by several different writers in both the Old and New Testament. There is no coincidence in this pattern. God had a reason in giving several people this knowledge over the ages in order for future generations to be aware.

As stated before, the trumpet was blown for three specific occasions in the lives of the Israelis: 1) to call an assembly, 2) to sound forth in battle, and 3) to announce the Year of Jubilee as described in Leviticus 25:9.

This first verse here seems to present the sound of the trumpet as a warning for battle.

“Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly...” (Joel 2:15 KJV)

In this verse, Joel speaks by inspiration of the Holy Ghost to sound the trumpet in order to call an assembly together.

“And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the LORD in the holy mount at Jerusalem.”

(Isaiah 27:13 KJV)

Isaiah also sees the day of the Lord being ushered in by the sound of the trumpet.

(Zephaniah 1:14-16 KJV)

I believe that we have the witnesses needed to establish the trumpet which shall appear with the Return of Christ. Zephaniah sees the trumpet being blown against the walled cities as in the day of battle.

“And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

(Matthew 24:31 KJV)

The Lord Jesus also hears the sound of a great trumpet in the final hour of mankind, but this sounding is used to gather God’s elect.

A Sacrifice is Prepared

(Jeremiah 46:10 KJV)

God will gather the nations together on the day of the Lord to avenge Himself before their presence. He uses unusual language in describing this event. He states that He has prepared Himself a sacrifice in the north country. He also speaks through Jeremiah here about a massive amount of bloodshed. What a day that will be!

“For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.”

(Joel 3:1-2 KJV)

The Lord specifically declares in Joel that He will gather the nations together in the Valley of Jehoshaphat. He states that He will deal and plead with them that have spoiled the Land of Israel.

“Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about. Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the vats overflow; for their wickedness is great. Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.”

(Joel 3:12-14 KJV)

The nations of this world will think that it is their plan to enter in and spoil Israel, but God is behind their plot. Little do they know that the Lord has drawn them here to sit and judge them. The harvest of the wicked will be great in that day.

“For the day of the LORD is near upon all the heathen: as thou hast done, it shall be done unto thee: thy reward shall return upon thine own head.”

(Obadiah 1:15 KJV)

And here, the Lord states that He will judge the nations according to their sins against Israel. Their evil doings will be rewarded with righteous indignation.

(Zephaniah 1:7-8 KJV)

Once again, the Lord states that the gathering of the nations in the last day will be His sacrifice. Zephaniah preaches, “He hath bid His guests.” Who are these guests?

“And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.”

(Revelation 19:17-18 KJV)

The Lord will invite the fowls of the air to be His guests at His great sacrifice and feast. A few years ago, the only birds that were carnivores were of the vulture and buzzard type. Driving down the highway, though, reveals something rather interesting that has evolved over the past few years. Crows and blackbirds are now feeding on the flesh of dead animals that lie on the edge of the road. Has the Lord begun to prepare their appetites to handle flesh instead of just corn and peas?

“And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.”

(Revelation 16:16 KJV)

The place of God’s great sacrifice: Armageddon. Also known as the Valley of Jehoshaphat, the valley of Megiddo fits the description of Armageddon. A place where blood will flow unto the horse bridles.

“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. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.”

(Revelation 14:19-20 KJV)

The reference to putting in the sickle is also found in Joel chapter three on the previous page. The sickle is thrust into the earth because the harvest is ripe. The winepress shall be full of the blood of mankind. God’s great sacrifice is inevitable.

The Wrath of God

“Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.”

(Isaiah 13:9 KJV)

The day of the Lord will not be a day wherein God opens His arms to receive the world with love. That day will reveal God as the Holy and Righteous One. Sin cannot dwell in the presence of God. Those upon this earth who continue to reject His mercy and grace through the Lord Jesus will find themselves in the hands of an angry God.

“Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire: no man shall spare his brother.”

(Isaiah 9:19 KJV)

The wrath of God here in this scripture refers to men being used as fuel for fire. Notice that the land is darkened as we have seen in other scriptures.

“Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.”

(Isaiah 13:13 KJV)

“But the LORD is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation.”

(Jeremiah 10:10 KJV)

“That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness...”

(Zephaniah 1:15 KJV)

As we can see, major and minor prophets alike were given the declaration of the day of God’s wrath upon the wicked of this world.

The reference of wrath is also very important in understanding the chronological order of the last days.

“But woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck, in those days! for there shall be great distress in the land, and wrath upon this people.”

(Luke 21:23 KJV)

Christ spoke of the coming wrath in His discourse on the end of the age.

“Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.”

(Romans 5:9 KJV)

“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ...”

(1 Thessalonians 5:9 KJV)

We have the promise of protection from the “wrath” of God if we are trusting in the Lord Jesus as our Savior. We must be born again.

When does the wrath of God begin? What is the sequence of events that will be played out in the very last days of human history? Does the wrath of God begin with Daniel’s Seventieth Week, the so-called “Tribulation Period”?

Cosmic Upheaval

“Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it. For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.”

(Isaiah 13:9-10 KJV)

Probably the most important set of references that pertain to the day of the Lord includes these on the cosmic disturbances on the earth and in the heavens.

Around the time of the day of the Lord, very specific changes will take place in our atmosphere and upon our planet. Isaiah states that the stars shall not give their light; neither shall the sun nor moon give their light. Other scriptures we have seen already declare that the day of the Lord shall be a day of thick darkness.

“Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.”

(Isaiah 13:13 KJV)

On a more general scale, verse 13 of the same chapter states that God is responsible for shaking the heavens, and when He does this, the earth will be moved out of her place.

“The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining...”

(Joel 2:10 KJV)

“The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining. The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.”

(Joel 3:15-16 KJV)

Joel captures the vision of the heavens and the earth being shaken. The Lord reveals to him that the stars, the sun, and the moon shall withdraw their shining.

The fact of the “cosmic upheaval” is very important in realizing the chronological sequence of end-time events. This next scripture has been passed over and set aside until now because of its significance.

“And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.”

(Joel 2:30-31 KJV)

Joel adds a few features to this part of the vision of the cosmic upheaval on the day of the Lord. These features include blood, fire, and pillars of smoke. This sounds a lot like the scene of a spectacular war that rages on.

Notice the word italicized in this set of scriptures. Before the great and terrible day of the Lord, there shall be cosmic disturbances. Therefore, the incident that precedes the physical return of Christ upon this earth will be God’s awesome display of power in the heavenlies.

(Matthew 24:29 KJV)

Christ Himself had a few words to say about the display which will be witnessed in the heavens. We will afterwards see just how important this event is in God’s plan of the last days.

Back to the Question

(Matthew 24:3 KJV)

All of the references that we have seen so far were nothing more than signs that were given to indicate a time and a season in the Lord’s plan.

Over the past several pages we have plenty of signs to which we should direct our attention. Remember, signs are to be seen and believed. What we do not yet see, we shall see, for God’s Word is inevitable and true. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.” (Matthew 24:35 KJV)

The things that you are about to read in the Gospel of Matthew may be very surprising. It may not be at all what you expect. Scripture by scripture, Jesus begins to intricately describe what shall take place in the last days.

As we tie in the “day of the Lord” to Jesus’ description of the end time, you may be startled. I have not written these things to twist prophecy into giving us a time for the end of the world, but what I have done is given you the scriptural references to the most unresearched prophecy in the Bible, the “Day of the Lord.” This “Day”, that I have spent so much time in exposing, is vital to eschatology.

What you read from this page forward, may change your whole outlook on the end of the age, which includes the final seven year period, where the church fits into this plan, the time of the “Rapture” of the church, and Armageddon.

The purpose of this writing is not to persuade you to its beliefs, but to lay the truth in scripture before you, that you may read and judge for yourself.

“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.”

(Matthew 24:4-5 KJV)

There have been many over the years who have claimed the deity and godship of Jesus Christ. Some were mass murderers; others were peaceful gurus. Some still have a following; while others forced their followers to drink poison. Many have come claiming that they were Christ, and they deceived many.

There shall come one though, who will ultimately sum up the vision of the spirit of antichrist. Paul calls him “the son of perdition” in II Thessalonians 2:3. The whole of mankind will call him a “man of peace”. He is the one Christians call the Antichrist.

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom...”

(Matthew 24:6 KJV)

There have been wars on the face of this earth ever since man has existed. Jesus says that we will see such things, but that we should not be alarmed. The end is not yet come. In the very end of the last days, terrible wars will be spread about in the world, eventually leading to a gathering of nations at what will appear to be World War III.

“And there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.”

(Matthew 24:7 KJV)

Various catastrophes will take place in the end time. Jesus was giving His disciples and us a description of the signs that would precede His second coming.

“All these are the beginning of sorrows.”

(Matthew 24:8 KJV)

Remember our section on Travail as a Woman in Birth? Jesus used the same word here, “sorrow”, as Isaiah used in describing the time nearing the “Day of the Lord”. It entailed the meaning of “pangs and throes” as in childbirth.

“Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.”

(Matthew 24:9-10 KJV)

Jesus stated that as humankind neared the end, that people who believed on Him would be delivered up to be afflicted and put to death for His Name’s sake. Unbelievers will not be tortured and killed. Only those who trust in His Name can be afflicted and put to death because of His Name’s sake.

Many persons who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ over the centuries and around the world, have been tortured for the Name of Jesus. Many have been slaughtered because of their faith. But, specifically, in the end-time, there shall be a period when believers will suffer for their Lord and their faith in Him.

“And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.” (Matthew 24:11 KJV)

There are many people speaking lies in the Name of God. The “New Age” religion is all about lies. Even Christ’s Name is used by these religionists to invoke the “higher self” which they claim is the god in every human being.

The book of Revelation speaks of a false prophet who shall come and speak kind words that will persuade men to trust in the Antichrist.

“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:)”

(Matthew 24:15 KJV)

Jesus finally comes to a point where He unveils the truth about the end. The first few verses in Matthew 24 seem to be shrouded in shades of mystery. But here, Jesus begins to speak plainly.

We have already read the information on the abomination of desolation. This is when the Antichrist shall enter into the temple in the middle of the last seven year period and set up an image of himself to be worshipped by all man.

Next, Jesus begins to give instructions as to what people should do when they see this event take place.

“Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house: Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days! But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day...”

(Matthew 24:16-20 KJV)

Jesus speaks directly to those “which be in Judea” during the time that Antichrist shall abominate the temple. He makes a point to say that they should make haste in fleeing to the mountains in order to flee the destruction of the evil ruler which takes over Jerusalem.

God’s plans include having a remnant of Jews upon this earth when time ceases to exist.

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” (Matthew 24:21 KJV)

The only time that the word “tribulation” is used in accordance with the last seven year period on earth is here. Jesus’ words speak it. After the abomination of desolation, there shall be “great tribulation”, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.

So, if the abomination of desolation does not occur until the middle of the seventieth week, or three and one-half years into the signing of the peace agreement, the “great tribulation” must start sometime after the first three and one-half years of this final time period.

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened.”

(Matthew 24:22 KJV)

Jesus said that except those days be shortened, that no flesh would be saved. Which “days” is Jesus speaking of? Look at the verse again. We do not have to spiritualize every scripture until it becomes of no good to us. Jesus simply said that there would be great tribulation, and except those days (of the great tribulation) be shortened, no flesh would be saved.

Those days, though, will be shortened for the elect’s sake. “Elect” means “chosen”. The whole of the seven year period will not be shortened , but the time of great tribulation within that time of the seven year period will be shortened.

The great tribulation is a different aspect of the entire seven year period on the earth. It is like one tree in the forest. The great tribulation will be a time within the Seventieth Week of Daniel.

This may not all be clear at this point, but please continue to read. Later, as we look into the book of Revelation, we will see how everything that Jesus said in Matthew 24 correlates and corresponds with the signs and the seasons of the last days here on earth.

“Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. Behold, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not.”

(Matthew 24:23-26 KJV)

Once again, Jesus gives mankind a warning concerning the deceptions of Satan. The devil will release many evil spirits into the world to claim that those they possess or oppress are the “christ”. Many great signs and wonders will be done in order to deceive the weak in spirit and those with no discernment. Jesus’ warning is simple: when they say that Christ is over here or over there, do not believe them, and do not go.

“For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.”

(Matthew 24:27 KJV)

Jesus then states that His coming will be like the lightning. It comes from the east and shines to the west. What Jesus is simply saying is this: You do not have to worry about all the different reports of Christ being in this place or in another. You should not believe them. For you will know beyond a shadow of a doubt when Christ will return. He’ll come from the east and shine to the west. There will not be any guessing. No one will ask like John the Baptist’s disciples, “Are you Him, or do we seek for another?” You will know when He returns.

“For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.”

(Matthew 24:28 KJV)

Jesus makes a point that the birds of the air will be gathered for a feast upon the carcasses of dead men, both small and great. This point here parallels with the section on A Sacrifice is Prepared. The fowls of the air will be the guests of God’s sacrifice banquet.

(Matthew 24:29 KJV)

This reference is obvious: Cosmic Upheaval in the heavens and in the earth. When shall this incident occur? Jesus answers, “Immediately after the tribulation of those days...”. Let us put the corresponding verses here together to get the big picture.

“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)... For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect's sake those days shall be shortened. Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken...”

(Matthew 24:15, 21-22, 29 KJV)

The scriptures in between these passages which appear above give general instructions or references to the end times. They do not, however, disrupt the flow of Christ’s prophecy on the last days and about His return to the earth.

Jesus states that the Abomination of Desolation would occur. Next, He states that there will be “great tribulation”. Verse 29 reads that immediately after the tribulation of “those” days, a cosmic disruption would appear.

“Those” days refer simply to the days of “great tribulation” which occur after the Abomination of Desolation. “Those” days, Jesus said, would be shortened for the elect’s sake.

“And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

(Matthew 24:30 KJV)

Jesus is giving us specific answers to a specific question about His second return. He does not “mix words” or “beat around the bush”. He simply states the way things are going to be when He comes back to this earth.

1. The abomination of desolation will occur.

2. A time called the “great tribulation” will occur.

3. Cosmic Upheaval will occur.

4. The Son of man will come in the clouds of heaven with power and glory.

Jesus says that after you see these things taking place, then the earth shall mourn at His appearance. Jesus will come back to this earth with power and glory.

Remember this scripture in the section on The Day of the Lord?

“And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.”

(Zechariah 14:4 KJV)

When Jesus describes His return to this earth, it corresponds with the Old Testament scriptures on the Day of the Lord. After the abomination of desolation, and after the “great tribulation”, and after the cosmic disturbances, Christ shall come on the Day of the Lord to judge the earth and avenge Himself of His adversaries.

“And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

(Matthew 24:31 KJV)

When Christ appears on the Day of the Lord, He shall send His angels with the great sound of a trumpet to gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. Who are these elect that Jesus keeps speaking about?

The Correlation: Matthew and

Revelation

Jesus had an understanding of what should take place in the last days. He spoke it once in the Gospel of Matthew, and again revealed it to the Apostle John in the Book of Revelation. What Jesus had spoken to His disciples, and to us through scriptures, was a declaration of the truth.

The harmony that exists between Matthew and Revelation on the sequence of the last days is not coincidental. In a precise correlation of events, both in Matthew chapter 24 and Revelation chapters 6 and 7, a pattern evolves of the chronological scheme to form an unerring conclusion. In this section, the two books are laid out together in the sequence that they are found in their original text.

The Antichrist...

“And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.”

(Matthew 24:4-5 KJV)

“And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.”

(Rev 6:1-2 KJV)

In Matthew 24, Jesus first lists the fact that many will claim to be the Christ and that we should beware not to be deceived. The New Age lie is that we can all become a god through allowing the Christ Consciousness to emit itself from us. Many indeed believe that they are Christ today... not the Christ, but a Christ. And truly many are being deceived. There will soon come a day when one will stand up to be the king of gods on this earth. He is recognized in the scriptures as the son of perdition and the antichrist.

Revelation 6 begins with the opening of the first seal by the Lamb of God Who alone was found worthy to open the seals. This first seal reveals what many ministers consider today to be the antichrist. He has a crown and weapons of war with which he uses to conquer the nations of the world. He is said to ride a white horse. The logo of the New Age Journal is a figure of a man riding a white horse with a weapon in one hand and defiantly lifting the other in the sky towards God by making the satanic hand signal.

Wars...

“And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom...”

(Matthew 24:6-7 KJV)

“And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword.”

(Revelation 6:3-4 KJV)

The second event which Jesus refers to in Matthew 24 is that there shall be wars and rumors of wars. The same Jesus that suffered on this earth through the crucifixion to reconcile us back to God by the atoning power of His shed blood speaks to us today in Matthew 24. That same Jesus after being raised from the dead shows John the same chain of events in the Revelation that He spoke about in Matthew. He knew it all before His death, and showed it to us after His resurrection. In Revelation 6:4-5, John saw the second seal open to reveal that indeed there shall be a time of wars in the very end.

Famines...

"... and there shall be famines..."

(Matthew 24:7 KJV)

“And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine.”

(Revelation 6:5-6 KJV)

Along with the wars of verse 7 in Matthew 24, Jesus adds that there shall be famines. In Revelation 6:5-6, John sees a rider with a pair of balances in his hand. A voice is heard in the midst of the four beasts in heaven declaring what shall be done in the economy. Take a look at the New International Version translation of verse 6.

“Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, ‘A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!’”

(Revelation 6:6 NIV)

It states that for a full day's wages, there will barely be enough to buy food for one man for one day. This economic disruption may possibly have something to do with the rate of inflation as well as the ravages of war amongst the nations of the world.

Pestilence and death...

"... and there shall be... pestilence’s, and earthquakes, in divers places."

(Matthew 24:7 KJV)

“And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.”

(Revelation 6:7-8 KJV)

In Matthew, Jesus lists, still in verse 7 of chapter 24, that there shall be pestilences and earthquakes. We well know that the last few years has witnessed an increase in the number of earthquakes around the world. These earthquakes have been devastating to the population of mankind with literally thousands killed at a time. But, we haven't seen anything yet. Revelation reveals, as the fourth seal is opened, that death is the rider of the pale horse. The color "pale" signifies a certain color of greenish-yellow. Pestilences will be ushered in with death as a natural result. We have seen the development over the past decade of many new diseases, most of which are incurable. Rapid killing viral and bacterial infections will be widespread in the coming conclusion of mankind's drama as it is played out on center stage.

"All these are the beginning of sorrows."

(Matthew 24:8 KJV)

Now here we see that Jesus used the reference of sorrows. Remember the many other references about sorrows, pains, and travailing? The reference begins pointing to the coming of the Day of the Lord.

Martyrdom...

(Matthew 24:9-10 KJV)

“And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellowservants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled.”

(Revelation 6:9-11 KJV)

Once again, the correlation is precise. Jesus told the disciples that they should be delivered up to death because of the gospel. Verse 10 of Matthew 24 suggests a time when there shall be a concise separation between those who believe and those who do not. In Revelation, John sees a group of people which have been outright murdered because of the "word of God, and for the testimony which they held." Yes, many people have been martyred for the sake of the gospel since Christ was crucified, yet here we see it in multiples during the opening of the seals. God also reveals to us that during this time of "tribulation" many shall also become martyrs until there is a fulfillment in God's eyes of this tragedy. These Christians are given a period of rest to wait for that fulfillment.

“And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.”

(Matthew 24:11-14 KJV)

This section seems to be a warning and exhortation. We should know that many false prophets shall come... even more than there are now. We should be aware that man's hatred for one another shall escalate due to a lack of love caused by increased iniquity in the earth. Jesus encourages us though by stating that if we can just hold on to the end and endure, then we shall be saved. The gospel shall be delivered unto the ends of the earth... this signals that there shall be a time of great revival and evangelism through the midst of troubles and sorrow.

The Middle of the Week...

(Matthew 24:15, 21-22, 29 KJV)

Once again, this point is shown to simply put in perspective the sequence of events as they will occur according to Christ’s own words.

Cosmic Upheaval...

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

(Matthew 24:29-30 KJV)

(Revelation 6:12-14 KJV)

Just past the Middle of Daniel’s Seventieth Week, the “Great Tribulation” begins. After this, scriptures reveal that Cosmic Upheaval, of which we have seen many references, will occur. By earlier study, we know that the Day of the Lord immediately follows this heavenly and earthly shaking. This will usher in the coming of the King of kings and Lord of lords to this earth.

These diagrams are not configured on the time line as an estimate of exactly when they will occur, but rather to show the sequence in which they shall transpire.

The things which Christ spoke of in Matthew 24 seem to have direct correlation to the vision which was captured by John in Revelation 6.

“Now learn a parable of the fig tree; When his branch is yet tender, and putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh: So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.”

(Matthew 24:32-35 KJV)

In the above scriptures, Jesus was speaking of all these things as being signs of His coming. When you see all these things taking place, know that the end is near.

The Rapture of the Church

(1 Thessalonians 4:17 KJV)

Here it is! The Blessed Hope of the Church. Our way of escape from the Wrath of the Almighty.

With the voice of the archangel and the sound of the trumpet, the dead in Christ shall rise first, then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up to meet our Lord in the air. Our meeting with the Lord. I look forward to that day.

When does the Rapture take place? Should it have already taken place? What is the Rapture?

The word ‘rapture’ appears not one time in the Scriptures. But, yes, I do believe in the concept. The Lord stated in Scripture that a “rapture” shall take place. Believers in Christ will be snatched out of this hellish place before the wrath of God.

“For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him.”

(1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 KJV)

This is our hope. This is the future that we have to look forward to. Believers in Christ do not have an appointment with wrath. We have an appointment with eternity in the presence of the Lord. Those who do not believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord will receive the judgment of God. His wrath will sweep over this earth with a mighty blow.

By now, you are probably thanking God for saving you from this wrath which is to come. Remember the many references on the wrath of God? The wrath of the LORD is unleashed on the Day of the Lord.

Remember also that Christ will come on the Day of the Lord. He will physically step foot on the earth on this particular day to avenge Himself of His adversaries.

When does the Day of the Lord begin? When does this wrath of God come upon the unrighteous of the world?

Does scripture permit two comings of Christ in the end time? Or is one singular coming sufficient?

“But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.”

(Matthew 24:36 KJV)

No man knows the day or the hour when Christ will come. But, Jesus did give us signs as to when that day would approach. We can never calculate the exact day of His return, and there are very good reasons why we are not able. The Father in heaven knows the exact day and the exact hour and the exact second that Christ will descend from heaven to do battle with the enemies of God.

“And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind. And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

(Revelation 6:12-17 KJV)

In Revelation, the Apostle John uses specific words to describe the future events of Daniel’s Seventieth Week. Notice that when the sixth seal is opened by the Lamb of God, the Cosmic Disruption occurs.

In the above scripture during the sixth seal is where we find the final reference of men going into the mountains and into the rocks to hide themselves from the coming King... Jesus. Remember now the references in the old testament concerning this very thing on the Day of the Lord.

The last verse in this set of scriptures reveals the precise timing of the unleashing of God’s wrath upon this earth.

“Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

After the Abomination of Desolation in the middle of the final seven year period, the sixth seal is opened. Men will hide themselves in the rocks and caves. John’s inspired words state it clearly. There is no mistake in the wording here. The term “wrath” is not used in the book of Revelation in the sequence of end-time events until the last verse of chapter six.

Men will recognize that the “great day of His wrath is come.” After witnessing the cosmic upheaval in the earth and in the heavens, mankind will recognize the horrendous anger of God which is about to come upon them.

Aren’t we supposed to be raptured out of this world before the wrath of God comes? The answer is “YES!” John writes all these things in a sequence and in an order. Chapter seven of Revelation reveals deeper the plan of God for the church and the remnant of Jews which He has chosen for Himself.

Does scripture then suggest that true believers will be present during the opening of the first six seals?

To answer a question with a question: Do the first six seals contain the wrath of God? Or are they only a revelation into the end-times upon the earth?

It isn’t until the end of the sixth seal that we see the word ‘wrath’ being used in describing the events of the last days. After this, it is used repetitively in scriptures to describe the judgment of the Lord upon the earth.

According to the wording of Revelation, the wrath doesn’t begin until after the middle of the “tribulation” period. The wrath of God seemingly doesn’t begin until after the “great tribulation”.

Is it possible that the church will be here during the first six seals, even up until past the abomination of desolation in the “middle of the week”?

In Matthew, even Christ’s words depict such a possibility:

(Matthew 24:30 KJV)

After the first six major components of Christ’s account of the signs of His coming, Jesus makes the above statement. At this time, He specifically declares that mankind will see Him coming in the clouds of heaven “with power and great glory.”

If I threw a hen egg up in the air, reason would state that it would fall to the ground and burst open. The bursting forth of the egg could not be blamed on anything except for the simple fact that it was thrown into the air and then allowed to hit the ground. In simpler words, their was a consequence to an action. You could not blame the breaking of the egg on some supernatural phenomenon which occurs once every 243 years. The egg broke because it was thrown into the air; it was a natural consequence to the action which preceded it.

The first six seals in the book of Revelation are opened to reveal things which are to happen on the earth. The “wrath” doesn’t appear until sometime after the sixth seal event transpires.

The first six seals, therefore, do not contain the wrath of the Lord, even though they appear within the first part of Daniel’s Seventieth Week, otherwise termed by religionists as the “tribulation”.

They simply reveal the consequence of actions which occur and take place on the earth during the final days of her history. They reveal the consequences of mankind’s decisions politically, economically, socially, and spiritually. These consequences cannot be blamed on God as being part of His wrath. It is simply the law of action and reaction.

“And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

(Matthew 24:31 KJV)

As part of His Coming, He shall send His angels with a “great sound of a trumpet.” When the trumpet sounds, those angels will be sent forth to gather Christ’s elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to another. Remember all of the references we had earlier from the Old Testament concerning the “Day of the Lord”? The advent of the Day of the Lord is proclaimed through the sound of a “trumpet”.

The trumpet, remember, was sounded to call forth into battle, and to gather an assembly before the presence of the Lord. Could it be that the trumpet call on the Day of the Lord be used for both reasons: to warn the world of its impending judgment in war, and to gather Christ’s elect to His side?

“Behold, I show you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

(1 Corinthians 15:51-52 KJV)

In the above reference, the Apostle Paul states that not all shall die, but all shall be changed (in our physical form). Here is a clear reference to the Rapture of the Church. Notice what Paul says should mark this blessed event: the last trump. The trumpet shall sound, and the dead (in Christ) shall be raised incorruptible. Then we which are alive and remain shall be changed into incorruptible as well.

The last trump shall signalize the advent of Christ into this earth. When He comes, the angels of glory will gather the elect, or chosen of God.

“For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.”

(1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 KJV)

In Thessalonians, Paul writes the same exhortation to this church as he did to the Corinthian church. The same references are used regarding the Lord’s descent to the earth with the sounding of a trumpet. Again, the “rapture” takes place when the Lord begins to descend upon the earth.

Our first set of scriptures on the discourse on the day of the Lord begins in the next several verses of I Thessalonians. Let us run these scriptures together:

“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words. But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.”

(1 Thessalonians 4:16-5:4 KJV)

“For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?”

(Revelation 6:17 KJV)

Before the seventh seal is opened by Christ in Heaven, we see this final scripture in Chapter Six of Revelation depicting what men shall perceive during the sixth seal of the Lamb.

Now, notice what is depicted immediately before the opening of the seventh seal:

“And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.”

(Revelation 7:1-3 KJV)

The whole of Revelation Chapter Seven is focused on the sealing and ingathering of God’s people.

The scriptures above reveal four angels which stand on the four corners of the earth. As we read, it is revealed that they are given power to hold back the “four winds of the earth”. As another angel “having the seal of the living God” approaches these four angels, it is also revealed that they have been given power to hurt the earth and the sea.

This is the first reference in the book of Revelation, as the seals are opened, that angels are involved with the occurrences of the earth. Up until this point, we neither see nor hear of angels being present with the actions which occur on the earth.

“And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”

(Matthew 24:31 KJV)

These may be the four angels which the Lord Himself spoke of in Matthew 24 above at the four winds of the earth.

The angel which appears unto the four angels has a special duty. He appears to have the seal of God with him. He gives a command to the other angels that they should withhold destruction from upon the face of the earth until the servants of God be sealed out of the twelve tribes of Israel. They will receive the seal of God upon their foreheads. This action takes place between the occurrences of the sixth and seventh seal.

“And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nephthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.”

(Revelation 7:4-8 KJV)

The twelve tribes of Israel are represented by twelve thousand servants each. The angel with the seal is given the responsibility to mark these servants of God. These Jews will be dedicated wholly to the Lord and will not pervert or prostitute themselves with the antichrist or the world.

The following scriptures on the next page reveal an exciting factor of the end times.

“After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.”

(Revelation 7:9-12 KJV)

(Italics by author)

Immediately after the 144,000 Jews are sealed by the angel of the Lord, the Apostle John looks back into heaven and suddenly sees a great multitude of people, “which no man could number”. This great multitude is representative of all nations, and kindreds, and people groups, and tongues. They stand before the Lamb and before the throne. They are clothed in robes of white and they give praise to the Lord God in heaven. This great multitude sings a song of their own before the Lord. After their song, all the angels of heaven fall down on their faces before God and give Him praise.

Who are these that worship the Lord with the song of “Salvation”? Who belongs to this great multitude which suddenly appears in heaven? This same question was asked of John during his vision:

“And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”

(Revelation 7:13-17 KJV)

(Italics by author)

One of the elders comes and questions John, “Who are these which are robed in white and who worship and praise the Lord at His throne?” John perceived that the elder knew the answer before asking the question. John was saying in essence, “You know the answer. Tell me!”

“These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.” The elder gives the answer plainly to us here. Only those who are born again are said to have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb. We wash our righteousness, which is “filthy rags” in the sight of God, in the blood of the Lamb, whitened by His own Righteousness.

This great mass that John sees can be none other than the “Raptured” Church of Jesus Christ! Without passing through death unto life, the raptured saints stand before God!

Through previous study, we know that the “great tribulation” begins after the abomination of desolation after the first three 3¹/₂ years. The sixth seal happening occurs after the abomination of desolation. It appears within the “great tribulation”. So, between the sixth and seventh seal occurrences, the rapture of the church may take place. We still do not know the day nor the hour that it will happen, but we know it will.

Where does the “Rapture” fit in with the Day of the Lord and the Seventh Seal occurrence?

(Matthew 24:37-39 KJV)

Back in Matthew’s Gospel on the last-days discourse, Jesus said that His second coming would be as it was in the days of Noah.

Before destruction came upon the earth, no one listened to the cry of God for repentance. They went on about their daily routine without giving God credit or glory. The only ones that were saved on the day of destruction were Noah and his family: eight humans altogether.

To the rest of the world, it was ‘business as usual’. They had no idea that they were about to be swallowed up in judgment until Noah and his clan climbed aboard the ark. But, then it was too late.

The key to this scripture is this: On the same day that judgment came, deliverance came. What was the wrath of God on one, was the salvation of God for another. When the Day of the Lord comes, both wrath and salvation will come at once.

Need another reference?

“Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.”

(Luke 17:28-30 KJV)

This is parallel scripture in Luke’s Gospel on Christ’s teaching of the last days. The same type of example is given here concerning wrath and salvation appearing at the same time.

Notice that it states clearly here that “the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all.”

Jesus went on point blank to say in verse 30 on the previous page: “thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.”

Lot and his family left Sodom the same day that fire and brimstone rained out of heaven. Salvation was wrought for him, while death and destruction was brought upon the wicked. Once again, these occurred on the same day.

“But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”

(Matthew 24:37-42 KJV)

Back in Matthew, Jesus continues to state about the day of His coming. The day of vengeance will come, but will entail the salvation of the righteous with it.

In verses 40 through 42 Jesus apparently speaks specifically of the “Rapture”. Look at the scripture. While working or going about our daily business, salvation from wrath will come for one (the one being taken by way of the “rapture”) while the other is left for the destruction of the Almighty in His wrath.

“But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.”

(Matthew 24:43 KJV)

Once again, Christ speaks to the disciples and states that if we are watching, we will not be taken unawares by His Coming.

I have not attempted to give you an exact time for Christ’s Coming or for the “Rapture” of the Church, but we have laid out many scriptures dealing with this matter that we may have a better understanding.

“And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.”

(Revelation 8:1-2 KJV)

Immediately after John sees the great multitude in heaven, he then witnesses the seventh seal being opened.

Upon the opening the seventh seal, there is silence all throughout heaven. Then John sees an awesome thing: seven angels of the Lord are given seven trumpets.

The angels are once again involved in the final court day of the world when the verdict is passed down by the Great Judge. The angels are used to execute God’s wrath and judgment upon the earth.

The day that the trumpet sounds announcing the coming Day of the Lord will also ensue the “snatching away” of the church. The Seventh seal reveals the trumpets of God. Christ shall return to this earth with the voice of an archangel and with the trump of God.

Quite possibly then, four things may occur on earth almost simultaneously when Christ appears: 1) the trumpets are released by the seventh seal, 2) the Lord will set foot on earth (the Day of the Lord), 3) the dead in Christ shall be resurrected, and 4) the Church will be “Raptured” out of the day of God’s wrath to obtain salvation from it.

Christ shall come again to this earth only once. We have believed for years that Christ would appear to rapture His church, and later appear to bring judgment on the world. There is no scripture in the Word of God which supports the theory of two “second comings”.

When Christ comes on the Day of the Lord, He will set His foot on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4). Immediately before the trumpet judgments are blown, the 144,000 Jews will be sealed in God, and the church will escape the wrath of the Lamb by way of the “Rapture”.