1-4. The Order of Events

Matthew 24 – The Order of Events

1. The Birth Pains: first, major events will take place on a natural, religious, social, and societal level. Events such as these have never before occurred on earth in their magnitude and scale (Matt 24:1-14); (this event is ongoing; humanity is living in it)
2. The Revelation of:
   1. the “falling away” is an organization/person proclaiming false doctrine (2 Thess 2:3); (this event is ongoing) AND….
   2. the revelation of the “son of perdition, THE ANTICHRIST”; one must pay attention to who first becomes the “political/human” antichrist, for he will become The ANTICHRIST; (2 Thess 2:3 and 8) (this event has not yet come. Pray for the wisdom referred to in Revelation 13:18 to recognize who the political antichrist is).
3. The Rapture (“taken out of the midst” of the Holy Spirit together with the believers): the believer, the “born again Christian,” together with the Holy Spirit dwelling within them, will be called to heaven (=taken away), first the dead and then the living, in the twinkling of an eye to meet heaven. (2 Thess 2:7) (this event has not yet come and is intended for the believers. It will take place as soon as the Antichrist (point 2.2) reveals himself. Be prepared and watchful);
4. The Great Tribulation: because the Holy Spirit will no longer be on earth restraining the antichrist, the antichrist will have free rein to dominate the earth. He will massively oppress and persecute the Jews, the non-born-again Christians, and those who come to faith after the rapture. This will lead to the GREAT TRIBULATION (Rev 2:22; Rev 7:14) such as has never before been on earth (2 Thess 2:7) (this event has not yet come; it is not intended for believers, for they will already be with the Lord. It applies to those who remain behind and especially to the Jews);
5. The Second Coming (Matt 24:15-31) (this event has not yet come; believers will return together to the earth).
6. The New Heaven and New Earth. ETERNAL LIFE.

Many ask themselves: when will the second coming take place? The answer is:

“THAT IS NOT KNOWN!”

Only God Almighty, the Father, knows when (Matt 24:36; Mark 13:32; Acts 1:7).
At His command the return will take place to prepare everything for the Day of Judgment.

Mark 13:32 (LSB) (see also Matt 24:36)
32 But concerning that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.

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The Sorrows

Matthew 24:32-33 (LSB)
32 “Now learn the parable from the fig tree: when its branch has already become tender and puts forth its leaves, you know that summer is near;
33 so, you too, when you see all these things, recognize that He is near, right at the door.

Events will take place which, in scale and magnitude, have never before occurred:

• wars or threats of wars on an unprecedented scale (Matt 24:6-7; Rev 6:4; Mark 13:8);
• food shortages (Matt 24:7 and Mark 13:8);
• epidemics (Luke 21:11 and Rev 6:8);
• increasing lawlessness and lack of love (Matt 24:12);
• many false prophets will arise and deceive many (Matt 24:5, 11; Mark 13:6);
• Christians will be persecuted (Matt 24:9; Luke 21:12);
• people will not listen to Biblical warnings (Matt 24:39);
• people will be lovers of themselves ^(selfies), lovers of money, boastful, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God (2 Tim 3:4-7);
• people will have a form of godliness but deny its power, misleading women burdened with sins and led by various lusts, women always learning yet never able to come to the knowledge of the truth (2 Tim 3:4-7);
• sound doctrine (= the pure Gospel) will not be endured, but people will gather teachers for themselves according to their own desires, seeking words that please the ear (2 Tim 4:3);
• the destruction of the earth (Rev 11:18).

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12 (LSB)
1 Now we ask you, brothers, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be troubled, either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. 5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? 6 And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the working of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 For this reason God sends upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.

Order of Events (from 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12):

1. Verse 3a: “The falling away”: first comes the falling away: the RCC, false doctrines in the churches, and Islam;
2. Verse 3b: “The antichrist”: his revelation is still restrained by the Holy Spirit in the believers;
3. Verse 7: “Taken out of the midst”: taken away; the Holy Spirit no longer on earth;
4. Verse 8: “The great tribulation”: the antichrist and the “harlot/false prophet” will exercise their dominion unhindered;
5. Verse 1: “The second coming” takes place after points 1 through 4.

First the falling away (the RCC and Islam) and the leader of the antichrists (the first beast, Rev 13:1; Rev 13:10)
will reveal himself, whose power is restrained by the Holy Spirit in the believers.

In Revelation 13:1 the first beast (the antichrist) is still an ordinary man with great power, but later in Revelation 13:12-14 this man is mortally wounded. Mortally wounded!! This man will live again, THEN (Rev 13:3; Rev 13:15) he will receive evil powers and authority from the second beast and perform great signs and wonders. These are powers which satan will perform through him and by which many will be deceived.

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