Bob Josey: Olivet Discourse Pt2 Dec 8 2019

Post date: Dec 9, 2019 2:39:23 PM

a. The Beginning of Birth Pangs – The First Half of the Tribulation Period (Matthew 24:4- 8)

How many times have you heard in the last forty years or more that the end is near and that famine, earthquakes, floods, tornados, hurricanes, wars, rumors of wars, etc. are the signs of the end of the world or the signs of the end the age? Teachers, preachers, and other people have becried over and over that that the end is near! We just need to look at the signs! There has been a lot of hype concerning this in many books and articles. I found about twenty books on Amazon about the signs that indicate the end is near. One book gave twelve signs that the end is near and another one gave twenty-five. There has also been much of that in some radio broadcasts and podcasts dealing with this subject.

But, does Scripture teach that today’s natural disasters, even though some of these may have been increasing during our lifetime, are signs of the end of the age? Today we will begin to explore specifically what Jesus says about this important subject and the warning He gives. In these verses Jesus gives us some of the keys to help us understand the Tribulation Period found in the Olivet Discourse, as well as some of the keys to understand the events occurring today.

Matthew 24:4-8 - Before Jesus gave the characteristics of the first half of Tribulation Period, 3½ years, He would give a warning in verse 4 to future Jewish believes who will live during Tribulation Period. The warning to these Jewish believers who would live during the Tribulation Period is that they are not to be deceived into thinking that certain everyday events are signs of the end of the age.

Jesus warned Jewish believes who will live during the Tribulation not to be deceived in thinking that the following events are signs of the end of the age.

24:5 - Jewish believers should not be deceived into thinking that men who claim to be the Messiah is a sign of the end of the age. Some Jewish people Israel have been looking for the Messiah for 3500 years. Over the last 2000 years a few men have claimed to be the Messiah, but during the Tribulation Period there will be many who also will claim this title. The anti-christ will be one of many. Many unbelieving Jewish people be deceived into thinking that one of the men who will claim to be the Messiah is the promised Messiah. Many will follow the anti-christ as the messiah while others will follow some of the others claiming to be the messiah. However, many men claiming be the Messiah is not a sign of the end of the age.

24:6 - Jewish believers should not be deceived into thinking that constant chatter about wars and the rumors of war is a sign of the end of the age. Jesus also warned these future Jewish believers that there would be a constant drum beating about wars around the world and rumors of wars. With all the wars raging and the rumors of war swirling around will make some people frightened. Some of them may think that one of these wars might be Armageddon, He also told them not to be frightened about all the chatter about war. The Greek word translated frightened means to be inwardly aroused or disturbed.

The reason they are not to be alarmed about all the false messiahs and the chatter about wars is because they will be just normal every day occurrences. Jesus was saying that false messiahs and wars will just be a necessary part of the Tribulation period probably because false messiahs will deceive unbelievers and God will use war to deal with the unrighteousness of man. They should not be surprised by many false messiahs and constant wars. Even though there will be many false messiahs and wars around the world and constant rumors of wars, these do not indicate that the end of the age has arrived. None of these wars will be the battle of Armageddon. So, false messiahs, wars and rumors of wars according to Jesus are not signs of the end of the age.

24:7a - Jewish believers should not be deceived into thinking because nations will struggle against one another that this is sign of the end of the age. Nations battling and struggling against one another will simply be just be normative occurrences during the Tribulation period. Nations have battled, opposed, and struggled against one another for thousands of years. It will be no different during the Tribulation period. Nations fighting and struggling against one another are not indicators that the end of the age has arrived. They are just common everyday events that the Lord will use to deal with unrighteous people.

24:8b - Jewish believers should not be deceived into thinking that national disasters are a sign of the end of the age. During the first half of the Tribulation Period famines and earthquakes will increase, but they are certainly not a sign of the end of the age.

24:8 - It is clear from verses 6 & 8 that the common everyday events that Jesus discussed with the disciples are not indications or signs that the end of the age is near or has arrived. Jesus emphasized this by using the word “but” in both verses. He was saying that there has always been and will be during the Tribulation period false messiahs, famine, earthquakes, floods, tornados, hurricanes, war, rumors of war, etc. These things are merely just events and situations that will indicate the beginning of Birth pangs. Birth pangs in the literal sense are the sudden, unexpected, painful regularly recurring contractions that are characteristic of childbirth in which many of you ladies can attest. It could be said that water breaking is beginning of the birth pangs when the anti-christ makes a covenant with Israel which is in the beginning of the Tribulation Period. In the beginning of birth pangs, the pain is less severe and the contractions are farther apart, but as time goes along the pain becomes more server and the contractions are closer together. This would be the hard-labor birth pangs. So, Jesus was using the term birth pangs in a figurative manner concerning the difficulties and problems related to the events of the first half of the Tribulation.

Today’s natural disasters, wars, and other types of similar events have occurred for thousands of years and will continue to occur throughout the Tribulation Period. However, at the beginning of the Tribulation Period is when Jesus says the birth pangs begin and not before. They will not occur as birth pangs during the church age! The events at the beginning of the Tribulation Period, even though similar to events today, will be more intense when the birth pangs begin. Today’s events are not the beginning of the process that will take the world to the end. Events happening today are not considered by Jesus to be birth pangs because the birth pangs will not begin until the antichrist makes a covenant with Israel. Most of the time water breaking and then birth pangs to follow is the beginning the birth process not the end.

As we work through this chapter, please remember that even though the events that Jesus is discussing will be experienced by the entire world. His main focus will not be on the world but on warning and trying to educate Israel and the Jewish people who would live through the Tribulation Period of the horrible circumstances they will face.

Review

Therefore, Jesus makes it very clear in verses 6 and 8 that the events of today and during the first half of the Tribulation Period are not the signs or indications of the of the end of the age but are just events that have occurred for thousands of years that will continue through the Tribulation Period. Remember that before the Tribulation Period or the birth pangs can begin, the anti-christ must first make a covenant with Israel. (He will not be revealed as the anti-christ the beginning of the second half the Tribulation when he breaks his covenant with Israel.) Therefore, we are not in the second half of the Tribulation Period when the signs of the end will begin with the anti-christ breaking his convent with Israel. Those who are part of the Church of Jesus Christ are waiting for The Blessed Hope, the appearing of Jesus to take us to heaven which we call the Rapture of the Church. Christians should not be focusing on signs. We should not be looking for signs for two reasons. One, Jesus made it clear that the events of today are not the signs of the end of the age. Second, there are no signs indicating the Rapture is near. (Titus 2:13) It is always imminent.

If Jesus warned the Jewish believes who will go through the Tribulating Period not to be deceived into thinking that these events are not the signs of the end of the age, then we should not be deceived as well. If he told them not to be alarmed at these events, we should not be alarmed as well, If the events I just mentioned are not signs of the end of the age during the first half of the Tribulation period, they are certainly not the signs of the end of the age in the time period we live.

The signs of the end of the age are not for the church, but those living in the second half of the Tribulation period called the Great Tribulation. The signs of the end of the age are discussed by Jesus in verses 9-14 that will occur only in the second half of the Tribulation Period.