What Does The Bible Says About The Return of Jesus and the End Times?
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Jesus said that only God His Father knew the time of His return; nevertheless, when the disciples
asked Jesus about the time of His return and the time of the end of the world or the age. Jesus
gave them a chronological list of events that were to follow prior to His return, our gathering with
Him and the judgment of the world. When we carefully look at his writings, we soon realize that
the traditional view of many eschatologists goes contrary to the very gospel of Christ.
Lets take a close look at Jesus' teachings concerning the end times, carefully paying particular
attention to the words that denote a particular order of events. That is why I have underlined
words such as "and, but, yet, then, therefore," which denote a particular chronological order of
events.
First We Will See False Prophets, Wars, Famines, Sickness and Earthquakes
Matthew 24:4-8
4. And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.
5. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
6. 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.
7. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be
famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
8. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
In the preceding verses we can easily see that in the beginning of the end times, we will see, false
anointed ones, wars, rumors of wars, famines, pestilences and earthquakes, but the end is not yet
for these are the beginning of sorrows.
Second, Christians and Messianic Jews Will Be Afflicted, Killed and Hated By All Nations
Matthew 24:9-14
9. 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.
10. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another.
11. And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many.
12. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
13. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved.
14. 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.
Jesus said "then," meaning after the wars, famines, earthquakes and pestilences, for His name's
sake, meaning those who stand in His names will be afflicted, killed and hated by all nations. At
the present time nearly 97% of all the Jews deny that Jesus is the Messiah, do you think that these
are the ones who will be killed for Jesus' namesake? No it refers to Christians.
In the above verses Jesus also said that those who endure until the end will be saved, and that this
news would be preached to all the world and then the end would come.
Which end did Jesus refer to? Would the end be the beginning of a millennial kingdom on earth or
the end of the world or age? Let’s continue.
We Shall See The Abomination of Desolation Stand in The Temple of Jerusalem
Jesus continued by saying "when you therefore shall see the abomination of desolation standing in
the holy Place, referring to the Temple of Jerusalem, those who will be persecuted for His name's
sake) flee and hide, "for then" there shall be a great tribulation like no other one prior or after,
referring to the Great Tribulation. In the very words of Jesus is evident that Christians will not be
gathered with the Lords until after the manifestation of the Man of Sin and the Great Tribulation
that is brought by the Man of Sin.
Matthew 24:15-21
15. 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:)
16. Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains:
17. Let him which is on the housetop not come down to take any thing out of his house:
18. Neither let him which is in the field return back to take his clothes.
19. And woe unto them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days!
20. But pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the sabbath day:
21. For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to
this time, no, nor ever shall be.
Christians and Messianic Jews Will See the Manifestation of the False Messiah and Will Endure
His Tribulation
In the verses that follow (Matthew 24:22-25), Jesus clearly said that the days of tribulation would
have to be shortened for the sake of His elect. He continued by saying that false Christ and false
prophets would rise up and deceive many by great signs and wonders. Then He said, "Behold, I
have told you before." Why would Jesus warn us by saying "Behold, I told you before," if
Christians would not be on earth during the rein of the false Messiah and the tribulation?
Matthew 24:22-25
22. And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the
elect's sake those days shall be shortened.
23. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not.
24. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and
wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect.
25. Behold, I have told you before.
Jesus Is Coming In the Clouds of Heaven And Every Eye Will See Him; Don’t Be Deceived By
Anyone Who Claims To Be The Messiah, Even If He Does Great Miracles and Wonders
Jesus warned us (Matthew 24:26-28) not to be deceived if anyone (pastor, preacher, rabbi, the Pope
or prophet) told us that Jesus or the Messiah were on earth, whether in the desert or in the inner
rooms of the Temple of Jerusalem. Jesus specifically said that He (the Son of Man) would
appeared in heaven and would be seen in the same manner that lightning flashes in the heavens
and is can be seen both in the west and in the east. This statement was given to us as a warning so
that we don’t follow the false messiah who will soon sit in Jerusalem claiming that he is Christ or
the Messiah. Paul said that he would deceive many by the great signs and wonders that he will do
in the presence of God's elect (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12). Would true Christians be on earth at the
time of the Antichrist? Yes, Jesus specifically said so and warned us not to believe in him!
Matthew 24:26-28
26. 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.
27. 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.
28. For wheresoever the carcase is, there will the eagles be gathered together.
The following verses (Matthew 24:29-31) provide the most convincing evidence showing not only
that Christians will be on earth during the time of the Antichrist and during the time of the Great
Tribulation, but also shows that the wrath of God will prior to the time when Jesus appears from
Heaven to gather His saints on the clouds of heaven. It specifically say (verse 29) that
“immediately after the tribulation” 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, “then shall appear
the sign of the Son of man in heaven, “and he shall send his angels with a great sound of a
trumpet” to gather his elect not only from Israel as many false eschatologist have claimed, but also
from “the four winds of the earth,” meaning from every nation in the world including China, India,
United States, South America, The Pacific, Europe, the Middle East, The African Continent, etc.
God’s elect are those who have been elected by God for Salvation because they have placed their
faith in Jesus and have allowed Him not only to be their Savior but also have submitted unto Him
allowing Him to be their Lord and master, something that very few “so called” Christians do
today.
Matthew 24:29-31
29. 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:
30. 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.
31. 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.
This was the very same message that Paul preached as it is written in 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10,
saying "when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire
taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus
Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and
from the glory of his power; When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in
all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day."
Both Jesus and Paul specifically said that at the time when Jesus is revealed from heaven the wrath
of God would be poured out upon those who refused to surrender their lives to Jesus. Both
specifically said that the Lord will appear in great power and glory; so, where in the world, do
eschatologist get that the rapture or gathering will be a secret event, and that during the rapture or
gathering Christians will be taken while unbelievers left behind for a thousand years?
The Lord Jesus Christ specifically said that His appearance would be like lightning that is seen
from the east to the west. Revelation 1:7, points out that even those who pierced Him would see
Him come in the clouds of heaven, meaning that the dead will by raised at the very same time of
Jesus’ return, just as Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:50-53, that we shall "all" shall be changed like
the twinkling of an eye at the Last Trumpet, which is not the first, second or third, but the Seventh
Trumpet, when the death who is in Christ shall rise incorruptible and the kingdom of God that is
in this world will be become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ; and He shall reign for
ever and ever (Revelation 11:15).
He who abides in His word shall know the truth, and the truth shall set Him free.
Brother Ivan Maldonado